


Safe

by hondansadeensommar



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anxiety, Car Accidents, Courtship, Depression, Human Trafficking, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mental Health Issues, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Multi, Orphanage, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2018-12-26 08:57:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 50
Words: 88,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12055593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hondansadeensommar/pseuds/hondansadeensommar
Summary: A good Omega is silent unless spoken to.A good Omega does as they are told.A good Omega only wants to please their Alpha.A good Omega does not say no.





	1. A Good Omega

_A good Omega is silent unless spoken to._

_A good Omega does as they are told._

_A good Omega only wants to please their Alpha._

_A good Omega does not say no._

 

Changkyun’s hands shook as he stood in front of the small camera, staring straight ahead at the television screen behind it as the rules were flashed across it - white on a red background.  He knew what was going on; someone was watching him in another room through the camera, trying to decide whether or not they would pay to take Changkyun home.  He’d only just come of age a few weeks earlier, but he had been in this position almost every day since then - waiting silently for someone to come over the speaker next to him to ask questions posed by the Alpha who was looking for an Omega companion to care for them.

“ _Number 253081 - what is your life’s goal?_ ”

“To please my Alpha,” Changkyun replied, trying to stop his voice from shaking.  He still hadn’t gotten over the nerves that always accompanied these inspections, mostly because he knew that he would be punished if he failed in some way.

“ _And if you can not please your Alpha?_ ”  Changkyun swallowed hard, unsure of how to answer that question. It wasn’t one of the things they had been drilled on answering, and he wasn’t sure what the Alpha on the other end of the camera expected from him.  “ _Number 253081, answer the question_.”

“I will work harder to please.”  It was the only thing that came to Changkyun’s mind; he could only hope that it would be deemed a correct answer by the staff members that he knew were also watching the exchange.  Otherwise, he would be punished - and Changkyun’s back already bore the marks of being punished for some minor offense earlier in the week.  He honestly couldn’t even remember _what_ he’d said that was so seriously wrong to deserve the beating, but he knew that he had to be careful with his words.

There was silence after his answer, before the voice came back again just as Changkyun became convinced that he had fucked up and would be taken back to be beaten again.  “ _Thank you, Number 253081.  Please exit through the green door to your right_.”

Changkyun couldn’t help the look of surprise on his face at the words; he’d never been instructed to use the green door before.  The red door on his left led back into the Omega Training Center.  But the green door… no one inside had ever been through the green door, at least as far as Changkyun knew.

But he didn’t have time to think, as one of the black-uniformed staff members pushed him towards the door, opening it and pushing him through to a smaller, darker room.  Changkyun had to blink a few times to see that he was in a bathroom, and another staff member approached with a large, black bag in his hands.  “You have five minutes.  Shower and clean yourself up, and then change into these clothes.  Don’t keep your Alpha waiting.”

The words sank in as the staff member left the room through another door, leaving Changkyun stunned.  He hadn’t expected to have been chosen - not after he’d faltered while answering one of the Alpha’s questions.  But clearly, he had been mistaken this time.  Someone wanted him - he wouldn’t be going back into the Training Center to be punished or retrained due to his failure to please the Alpha that had been watching him through the camera.

Changkyun hurried into the shower, surprised that the water was actually warm; he hadn’t had a warm shower since he’d been brought to the training center, and it was a welcome surprise.  But Changkyun didn’t have time to think, as he had a time limit preventing him from relishing in the warm spray of the water and the honey-scented bath products that were provided for his use.  The last thing Changkyun wanted was to make his Alpha angry before they even had a chance to leave the Training Center, and the water stung at the marks on his back as he hurried to clean his skin.

The clothes inside the bag were different from the white uniform he’d worn since he’d arrived at the Training Center three years earlier.  There were black slacks and a white button-down shirt, along with nice black shoes, a black belt, and all of the necessary undergarments.  Changkyun was quick to dress in the new outfit, carefully checking his appearance in the mirror provided as he combed out his wet hair and brushed his teeth.  He still had some acne spots on his face, but otherwise Changkyun felt as though he looked alright.  His hair had been dyed and cut once he’d come of age - something the Training Center did to try to make their wards more attractive to the Alphas that came looking for new Omegas.  Changkyun hadn’t seen it before, but he had to admit that it had been a good choice.  He looked much better than he had the last time Changkyun had seen a mirror, three years earlier.

Finally, Changkyun took a deep breath and walked towards the small bathroom’s second door, knocking hesitantly.  He was unsure whether or not he was allowed to simply walk out of the bathroom, so he folded his hands carefully in front of his body and looked down at the floor as they had been trained to do, waiting for someone to tell him what he was supposed to do next once the door opened.

“Number 253081?”  The voice was softer than Changkyun had expected, and as he stood there he could smell that the person speaking to him was an Alpha.  He could feel the butterflies in his stomach as he realized that this was likely the Alpha that had chosen to take him home.

“Yes, Alpha.  Thank you for choosing me.”  

Changkyun felt the man’s warm hand lifting his chin, but he kept his eyes trained towards the floor.  It was disrespectful to look an Alpha in the eye, and Changkyun didn’t want to offend this man before they’d even made it out of the Training Center.  “You won’t look at me?” the man asked softly.

“It would be disrespectful, Alpha,” Changkyun replied, keeping his eyes trained downward.

“Our Omegas are well trained, Jung Hyunwoo- _ssi_.  They know that they are to be obedient and respectful at all times.”  Changkyun recognized the sound of one of the Training Center’s lead staff members, a female Alpha who dealt out the bulk of the punishments in the Training Center.  “If you ever have problems with this one, you can always exchange him later…”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” his Alpha, Jung Hyunwoo, replied as he let go of Changkyun’s chin.  “Do you have a name?”

“Our Omegas are trained to please… if you would like to give him a name, that is at your discretion.  But he has only answered to his number in the three years he has been here.”

Changkyun felt the man put a hand on his shoulder, gently guiding him out of the small bathroom and into the brightly lit waiting room the Alpha and the staff member had been using to wait for him.  “Thank you for your assistance.  At this point, I’d like to take him home.”

“Of course.  Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to meet your pack’s needs, Jung Hyunwoo- _ssi_.”

Changkyun didn’t know where they were going, but he allowed the Alpha to guide him through the halls and out of the building, wincing at the bright sunlight.  Omegas in the Training Center rarely went outside; they were meant to be pale and slight with soft, perfect skin - physically attractive to the Alphas of the outside world.  And that meant limited exposure to the sun, as well as very little time outside to be exposed to the harsh winds that came from the nearby ocean.

The bright light didn’t last long, as Changkyun was ushered into the back of a vehicle only a few steps away from the front doors.  He was surprised when the Alpha followed him into the back of the vehicle, closing the door behind them and sighing audibly.  “Thank God that’s over.  Let’s get out of here.”

Changkyun kept his eyes trained down on the floor, even as they drove away from the building.  He wasn’t sure if he was _allowed_ to look out through the deeply tinted windows, but he didn’t want to press his luck.  There were no rules established yet, and the last thing Changkyun wanted to do was get himself into trouble before they had even left the Omega Training Center’s grounds.

“How was it this time, _hyung_?”  Changkyun was confused by the question; he didn’t know what this new voice coming from the vehicle’s driver meant by “this time,” but he wasn’t sure that he wanted to know.  Still, he couldn’t help hearing the rest of the conversation.

“Surprisingly easy… this one didn’t even bother with a background check on me,” Hyunwoo replied.  “We definitely need to call this one in… they’re dehumanizing the Omegas inside there, giving them numbers instead of calling them by name.  I’m not sure I even want to know what else is happening inside…”

“Are we going to take him to the shelter?” the driver asked.

“No… not yet,” Hyunwoo replied.  “I want to interview him myself.  We can always take him later, but for now I think it’s best if he stays with us for a bit…”

Changkyun bit down on his bottom lip, his mind racing as he tried to figure out what was happening; they were already talking about sending him to a shelter, and Changkyun couldn’t help getting upset. 

The idea of being taken to a shelter scared Changkyun; they’d been told horror stories about the shelters for Omegas who failed to please their Alphas while he was in the Training Center.  The shelters were small and cramped, and there were never enough beds or food to go around.  Changkyun couldn’t help the soft whimper that escaped his lips at the thought of being abandoned, but he didn’t look up or make any other physical indication that he was upset.  The last thing Changkyun wanted was to displease the Alpha sitting next to him, knowing that the man would send him away in a heartbeat if he dared to put a toe out of line.

“Hey… are you okay?”  The Alpha’s hand was on Changkyun’s shoulder, squeezing it gently.  “You’re safe now… we aren’t going to hurt you.”

Changkyun took a deep breath.  “I’m sorry, Alpha… I’ll be better…”

“You’re not doing anything wrong,” Hyunwoo replied, squeezing his shoulder again.  “I’m sorry… I forgot that you wouldn’t understand what’s going on right now.  Why don’t we start from the beginning?  My name is Son Hyunwoo… do you remember your name?”

“It was Changkyun, Alpha,” he replied softly.

“What about your last name, Changkyun- _ssi_?” the man prodded.

Changkyun shook his head slowly.  “I don’t know, Alpha.  I was an orphan… I lived in a children’s home until I presented as an Omega at sixteen…”

The Alpha sighed heavily.  “Who took you to the Training Center?” he asked, gently rubbing Changkyun’s shoulder and keeping his voice soft as he spoke.  It was obvious that the Alpha was trying his best not to upset Changkyun with his questions, although Changkyun wasn’t sure _why_ the Alpha seemed so concerned with his feelings.

“One of the matrons… they took all of the Omegas who presented at the children’s home to the Training Center.  They said that it was for our own safety, because the Alphas and Betas at the children’s home couldn’t be expected to control themselves around us…”

“I’m sorry that you had to go through all of this,” Hyunwoo replied, once Changkyun had trailed off.  “Why don’t we go get you something to eat before we head back home?  I have some more questions that I need to ask you, but for now I think that you need to eat something and get some rest.  How does that sound?”

“I’m okay, Alpha.  I can answer your questions now,” Changkyun replied, even though his stomach was starting to grumble from not having eaten since breakfast that morning.

“Food first.  You look like they’ve been starving you…” the Alpha replied.  “It’s a long drive to the house, and I don’t want you to become ill from not eating.  I want you to be comfortable, and there’s nothing I need to ask you that can’t wait.  But do you have any questions for me?”

Changkyun wasn’t sure how to respond to that; he’d never expected the Alpha to actually be willing to let him ask questions.  At the Training Center, they had been taught to never question their Alpha - that questions were bad.  But the fact that he was being _asked_ if he had questions - surely that meant that it would be okay to ask the man what was happening, right?

“It’s okay, Changkyun- _ssi_ ,” the Alpha replied, almost as if he could read Changkyun’s mind.  “If you have questions, you’re allowed to ask.  I’m sure that they were very strict inside the Training Center, but many of the rules they expected you to follow are not things I actually expect of you.  You can be honest with me…”

“Are you going to send me to the shelter, Alpha?” Changkyun asked softly.  He couldn’t keep his voice from shaking as he spoke, but Changkyun hoped that the Alpha wouldn’t notice.

“Not right now… that’s something we can discuss, but no one is going to force you into anything you’re uncomfortable with,” Hyunwoo replied.

“Are you not happy with me?” Changkyun asked, forgetting for a moment to be polite towards the Alpha sitting next to him.  Changkyun immediately felt bad about the question, but the Alpha didn’t seem the least bit upset by his question.

“It isn’t anything like that, I promise,” Hyunwoo replied, squeezing Changkyun’s shoulder again.  “I’m sorry… I should have explained this to you as soon as we got into the car.  I didn’t go to the Training Center today to look for a new Omega for myself… one of my jobs is to investigate these Centers, looking for organizations that are abusing their charges so that they can be shut down by the government.  The only way I can do that is by choosing one of the Omegas and bringing them out of the Center to interview.”

Changkyun closed his eyes.  “So I’m not your Omega?”

“Omegas are human beings, too.  Not property to be owned,” Hyunwoo replied, squeezing Changkyun’s shoulder carefully.  “Once we’ve talked, you’re welcome to stay with my pack until you find an Alpha or a pack that you’re comfortable with… I’ve always allowed the Omegas I bring out of the Centers that chance.  Or you can choose to leave, either to a shelter or to make your own way in the world.  You can even choose to join our pack, if you feel comfortable with all of us… that’s how Jooheon- _ah_ came to us, a few years ago.  But it is _always_ your choice to come or go.  No one in my pack will try to stop you, or force you into anything that you’re uncomfortable with.”

“I don’t understand…” Changkyun began, still not looking up from his lap.  He was surprised when Hyunwoo hooked a finger underneath his chin again, turning his head and lifting his chin so that Changkyun had no choice but to look at the man’s face.  Hyunwoo was a large man, clearly at least a few years older than Changkyun with short-cropped dark hair.  His facial expression was serious, but Changkyun didn’t see any anger or hatred in his features.  Just concern.  “Alpha…”

“You are not inferior, Changkyun- _ssi_.  No one owns you.  You are a human being, and the fact that you are an Omega does not change the fact that you are capable of making your own choices.  You can look Alphas in the eye, and you can speak whenever you have something to say.  You have free will, and you are deserving of respect.  Do you understand?”  Changkyun nodded slowly, not turning away from the man even when Hyunwoo let go of his chin.  “Is there anything specific you would like to eat?  We’re going to be on the road for a few hours, and we’ll be out of Busan soon…”

“ _Tteokbokki_?” Changkyun asked, biting down on his bottom lip for a moment.  The Alpha smiled, nodding.

“ _Tteokbokki_ it is, then.  And we’ll get some _galbi_ as well… it’s probably been a while since you’ve had any kind of meat, hasn’t it?”  Changkyun nodded, turning to look back at his lap.  “You’re free now, Changkyun- _ssi_.  Things are going to be okay.”


	2. Questions

Changkyun felt someone carefully unbuckling the seatbelt around his body, gently shaking him from his sleep.  He didn’t remember falling asleep in the car, but as his eyes opened he could see that it had gotten dark outside and Hyunwoo was clearly trying to avoid waking him up.  The Alpha smiled as he realized that Changkyun had woken up, moving back slightly so that he wasn’t in Changkyun’s personal space.  “Sorry… I didn’t mean to wake you.  We’re in Seoul now.”  The Alpha stepped back slightly so that Changkyun could get out of the vehicle, putting a hand on his back and guiding him towards the front doors of a high-rise building as the driver from earlier pulled away from the curb.

Inside, the building was more magnificent than Changkyun would have expected it to be.  The ceilings were high, and the floors were made of a gorgeous white marble that stood out next to the dark wood paneling of the foyer’s walls.  A man in a very nice security uniform sat behind a desk just before the bank of elevators, and he bowed to the two of them as Hyunwoo led Changkyun towards the desk.  “Sungchan- _ssi_ , this is Changkyun- _ssi_.  He’ll be staying with us for a while,” Hyunwoo commented.  Changkyun bowed to the man, biting down on his bottom lip as the security guard smiled at him.

“Another Training Center refugee?” the guard asked.

“I think this may be one of the worst we’ve seen… Changkyun- _ssi_ is free to come and go as he pleases, but please don’t tell anyone who may come looking for him that he lives here…”

“Don’t worry, Son Hyunwoo- _ssi_.  I remember from the last time… I will not acknowledge that he exists to anyone outside of your pack,” the guard replied, smiling at him again.  “If you need anything while you are here, Changkyun- _ssi_ , please just let me know.”

“Thank you,” Changkyun replied, bowing to the man and biting down on his bottom lip again.

Hyunwoo lead Changkyun towards the elevators, guiding him into the first one that came just as the other man from the car joined them and passed the keys to Hyunwoo.  Now that they were closer to one another, Changkyun could tell that the newcomer was another Alpha.  He was slightly shorter than Hyunwoo, but both men were very muscular and looked as though they could do some serious damage if someone made them angry.  “I just got a text from Jooheon- _ah_ ,” the blonde man commented, holding his phone out for Hyunwoo.  “Minhyuk- _ah_ is getting antsy again… I can show our new guest to his room, if you want to go take care of Minhyukkie…”

“Thank you, Hoseok- _ah_ ,” Hyunwoo replied, passing the phone back before he turned to Changkyun.  “Hoseok- _ah_ is a member of the pack… he’ll show you to a bedroom where you can get ready for bed and get some rest.  We’ll talk about the Training Center and what happened to you there in the morning, once you’ve had a chance to sleep and settle in.  You’re just as safe with him as you would be with me…”

Changkyun nodded as the elevator stopped, the large metal doors sliding open into a hallway, equally as impressive as the lobby below.  There were only two door off the hallway - one on each end - and Hyunwoo headed towards the door to the left while Hoseok put a hand lightly on Changkyun’s shoulder and led him towards the door on their right.  “There are separate apartments for the pack?” Changkyun asked softly.

“They connect,” Hoseok replied, plugging in a code into the door’s keypad.  “The door down there is closer to the nest, but the bulk of the bedrooms are on this end… Hyunwoo- _hyung_ bought the whole floor and remodeled it to suit our needs.  We prefer to keep the nest separate from most of the apartment, so that heats don’t affect the whole pack.  We take care of our Omegas, but if Hyunwoo- _hyung_ is needed at the office, it’s easier for him to keep his head if he’s as far from the Omega in heat as possible.”

“Heats?” Changkyun asked, as the Alpha led him into the apartment’s foyer.  He could see from the look on Hoseok’s face as he removed his shoes that it wasn’t a question the Alpha had expected.  “I’m sorry…”

“No… no, don’t apologize,” Hoseok replied, shaking his head. “I’m just confused as to how you could _not_ know about heats… you’re an Omega, and they’re supposed to start before you come of age…”

Changkyun didn’t know how to respond; no one at the Training Center had ever mentioned the word to him before, and while he wasn’t sure exactly what a heat entailed, Changkyun felt fairly certain that he hadn’t experienced one before.  “I don’t think I’ve ever had one before…”

Hoseok nodded, handing Changkyun a pair of slippers to put on before they walked into the main living area of the apartment.  “Right… I think I’m going to have to ask Jooheon- _ah_ to explain this to you, because I know I won’t do a good job of it,” Hoseok replied, shaking his head.  “I can’t believe that they really didn’t teach you about heats…”

The apartment was definitely spacious, with thick carpets in the living area and expensive looking tiling in the open kitchen and dining area.  Changkyun had never seen anything like it; the walls and floors at both the children’s home and the Training Center had been bare and boring - concrete and stucco that hadn’t been painted, with simplistic furniture and very little of any interest.  But this apartment was filled with modern furnishings, and the walls were painted varying colors that coordinated well with one another.  There was art on the walls, as well as a large fireplace with a television hanging above it.  Most spectacularly of all, however, was the large wall of windows along the far side of the living area that looked out across the entire city.

“How high are we?” Changkyun asked.

“The building is forty-two stories… this is the penthouse, and there’s a second floor to the unit,” Hoseok replied, leading Changkyun towards a set of stairs that he hadn’t noticed at first.  “You’ll have the empty bedroom next to Jooheon- _ah_ ’s room… I’ll get him to come talk to you, while I go try to find some clothes for you to wear.”

Hoseok led Changkyun down the hall at the top of the stairs, opening a door near the middle of the hall.  “Jooheon- _ah_ ’s room is on the right, and Minhyuk- _ah_ ’s is on your left.  But Minhyuk- _ah_ is sleeping in the nest right now… we just found out that he’s carrying our pack’s first pups, and he’s more comfortable there right now.”

Changkyun nodded, taking in the sight of the room he’d been led into.  It wasn’t huge, but the floor was covered with more of the soft-looking carpet from the living area, with dark walls, bedding, and furniture.  What surprised him the most, however, was the fact that there was only one bed, and it was much larger than any other bed he’d ever slept in.  “It’s all mine?” Changkyun asked.

“The bathroom is shared with Jooheon- _ah_.  But you’re the only person sleeping in this room,” Hoseok replied.  “Go ahead and make yourself comfortable… I’m going to get Jooheon to come explain some things to you, and then I’ll bring you some pajamas or something comfortable to sleep in.”

Changkyun nodded, moving towards the bed as Hoseok left through one of the doors on the right - obviously the shared bathroom.  The mattress was soft, and it gave way easily under Changkyun’s weight as he sat down.  Changkyun wanted to just lay down and close his eyes, relaxing into the comfort of the mattress, but he knew that it wasn’t a good idea.  Not when he was still supposed to talk to Jooheon about some things.

Hoseok was back a moment later with another man that Changkyun assumed was Jooheon.  The newcomer was slightly shorter than Hoseok, with a round face.  Everything about Jooheon seemed softer, even down to the white-blond hair on his head.  “Changkyun- _ssi_ , this is Jooheon- _ah_.  He’s the youngest omega in our pack,” Hoseok commented, nodding towards the newcomer.  “Changkyun- _ssi_ doesn’t know about heats… I thought that you would be better at explaining it than I would be…”

“Don’t worry, _hyung_ … I’ve got this,” Jooheon replied with a smile, before moving closer to Changkyun as Hoseok nodded and left them alone.  “Is it okay if I sit next to you?”  Changkyun nodded.  While he was still a little uncomfortable with the group as a whole, because it was all so new, there was something about Jooheon that was comforting.  “Hyunwoo- _hyung_ got you out of one of the Training Centers, right?  How long were you there?”

“Three years,” Changkyun replied, looking down at his lap.  “The children’s home I lived in sent all of their Omegas to the Training Centers once they presented.”

“I think it’s pretty common,” Jooheon commented.  “I was seventeen when my mother died… my uncle put me in the Training Center, because he couldn’t take care of another Omega.  But there were a lot of others there who’d come from children’s homes.”

“I think everyone at the Training Center I was in came from a children’s home,” Changkyun replied, looking down at his lap again.  “Hoseok- _ssi_ said that you would explain…”

“Heats, yeah,” Jooheon replied.  “You’ve never gone through one before?”  Changkyun shook his head.  “They must have given you all drugs to stop them… it’s pretty common in the Training Centers, although they normally at least _teach_ the Omegas about heats and what to expect.  You know what makes Omegas different than Alphas or Betas, right?”

“We’re weaker, physically, and designed to serve our Alphas.  And we’re capable of carrying pups, if our Alphas want to reproduce,” Changkyun replied.

There was a brief moment of silence, before Jooheon sighed.  “We’re going to have to teach you a lot… most of the differences are anatomical.  You’re right about the fact that we’re capable of carrying pups, but a lot of the other things you’ve been taught are really fucked up and wrong,” Jooheon replied.  “Being Omegas doesn’t make us inferior, or weaker.  We don’t build muscle as easily as Alphas, but when it really counts Omegas can take on any Alpha to protect our pups or our pack.”

“So… what are heats?  What do they have to do with any of this?” Changkyun asked.

“Heats are the time we’re the most fertile, and most pups are conceived during an Omega’s heat,” Jooheon replied.  “They’re pretty uncomfortable… when you start going into heat, you’ll feel feverish and your back and stomach will hurt.  There are things that will help, like getting a back rub from a packmate or taking meds.  But eventually, the heat itself will hit and the only thing that will help is sex…”

Changkyun couldn’t help blushing at Jooheon’s explanation, suddenly feeling uncomfortable over the whole idea of going into heat and needing to rely on someone else to help him through that when it happened.  “So… I have to let someone fuck me to make it stop?” Changkyun asked softly.

“You don’t _have_ to, but it’s easier that way,” Jooheon replied.  “You can use toys, or masturbate, or whatever you’re comfortable with to take care of it.  You can do sexual stuff with someone else without ever having to actually do anything penetrative.  But an Alpha’s knot will always be the best thing to help you through a heat.  Hyunwoo- _hyung_ and Hoseok- _hyung_ are both really great about taking care of us, and I’m sure that if you’re still here when you go into heat for the first time they’ll be happy to help you.  No one wants to see an Omega go through that kind of pain without any help.”

“How long does it last?” Changkyun asked.

“Depends… my first one after I left the Training Center was a full week, but I’d been on medication to stop them for almost two and a half years.  Now they’re usually three or four days, and it comes in waves.  I’ll usually have a few hours between waves that feel almost normal, before the next one hits and I just want someone to help me through it…”

“When did it happen for the first time?”

“It was a few days after I left the Training Center… if you’ve never had one before, though, it may come on faster,” Jooheon replied.  “Our bodies are _supposed_ to go through heats.  It’s healthy and normal, but trying to stop it for too long can make you sick…”

Changkyun closed his eyes, sighing.  “So… it’s going to happen soon.”

“Sooner is better than later,” Jooheon replied, reaching out to place a hand on Changkyun’s lower back.  “The anticipation can be worse than the actual heat itself… at least when it’s the first time in a while.  If you want, I can stay with you and help you through it when the time comes.  And I’m sure any of the _hyungs_ would be willing to say the same - your comfort is the most important thing, because too much stress when you’re in heat isn’t good for you, either.”

Changkyun looked up as someone knocked on the door, thankful when he saw that it was only Hoseok, bearing the promised pajamas.  “Kihyun- _ah_ wanted to know if you were hungry… he said he’d be happy to make something for you to eat if you want anything.”

“No, thank you…”  Changkyun felt awkward, not calling the older man Alpha as he’d been taught.  But something told him that the sign of respect he’d been taught to use wasn’t really appropriate given the situation.  Still, he found himself struggling to look up at the Alpha as the man approached and put the change of clothes down on the bed.

“I’ll let him know… and Hyunwoo- _hyung_ asked me to let you know that you can sleep in tomorrow.  Talking can wait until you’ve had a chance to rest and take care of yourself.”  

Changkyun nodded at Hoseok’s words.  “Thank you,” he replied softly, reaching out to run his hand over the pajamas.  They were soft, and Changkyun smiled at the idea of sleeping in them that night.

“You should get some sleep… if you need anything, just ask Jooheon- _ah_ ,” Hoseok replied.

“I’ll just be next door… we can raid the kitchen at two A.M. if you get hungry,” Jooheon added, putting a hand on Changkyun’s shoulder and squeezing it.  “No one will get mad, as long as we don’t leave a huge mess for Kihyun- _hyung_.  And honestly, seeing you would probably make him ignore a mess - as thin as you are, he’s going to want to feed you as much as possible until you gain some weight.”

Changkyun raised an eyebrow, turning to look at the older Omega.  “But we were told that Alphas want Omegas that are thin…”

“We want Omegas that are healthy,” Hoseok replied, interrupting him.  “You aren’t thin enough that it’s dangerous yet, but you’re definitely thinner than I’m happy with.  If you do decide to stay with our pack, I can guarantee you that we’re going to try to help you gain some weight so that you’re healthier.”

“You would still let me stay, even though you don’t find me attractive?” Changkyun asked.

“Who said that we don’t find you attractive?” Jooheon asked.  Changkyun could see that the older Omega was confused.  “You’re a little on the thin side and you look like you could use more sun, but that doesn’t mean you’re unattractive.  You’re cute… you just need some time to recover from being stuck in an abusive situation…”

“We don’t really know you yet, but there’s nothing about you that would immediately make us turn you down if you wanted to stay,” Hoseok replied.  “Try to get some sleep, okay?  There’s plenty of time to figure all of that out later, once you’ve had some time to figure some things out and get to know all of us.  There aren’t any decisions that have to be made immediately.”

“Seriously, though… just come get me if you need anything,” Jooheon added, standing up and starting to follow Hoseok out of the room.  “Good night, Changkyun- _ssi_.”


	3. Crash-Course

Changkyun didn’t want to move from the bed when he woke up; he was too comfortable, and there was no light coming in to indicate that it was early enough for him to wake up.  It wasn’t until Changkyun felt a hand on his forehead that he opened his eyes, surprised to see Jooheon smiling down at him.  “Sorry… Kihyun- _hyung_ sent me up to make sure you were still alive,” the elder commented, sitting down on the side of the bed.  “You’ve slept through breakfast… it’s almost time for lunch now…”

“What?” Changkyun asked, sitting up suddenly.  The room was still dark, other than some light that came in from the doorway.  He looked around, trying to find anything else that might indicate what time it was.  There was no clock, but Changkyun couldn’t help the anxious feeling that began to creep in as he realized that Jooheon had no reason to lie to him about the time.  “I’m sorry, Jooheon- _ssi_ … I’ll do better tomorrow…”

“Whoa… it isn’t a problem, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Jooheon replied, interrupting him.  “We were just concerned when you didn’t come down… we aren’t upset with you or anything like that.  It isn’t anything to stress out about, okay?”

Changkyun nodded slowly, closing his eyes.  “Okay.”

“Good… why don’t you come downstairs and get something to eat?  Kihyun- _hyung_ is going to want to feed you as soon as he sees you, I’m sure,” Jooheon replied.

“Is it really that bad?” Changkyun asked, wrapping his arms around his torso.  “Am I really that disgusting?”

Jooheon looked surprised at Changkyun’s words.  “No, no… you don’t look disgusting!” Jooheon replied, shaking his head.  “We don’t think that at all, Changkyun- _ah_.  You’re just really thin, and we’re worried about how that’s going to affect your health in the long-term.  Omegas have to have enough body fat to support a litter of pups, and you’re definitely too thin for that right now…”

Changkyun took a deep breath.  “Is it really a bad thing, though?  If I don’t want to have pups, wouldn’t it make sense for me to stay too thin?”

“It’s a lot more complicated than that,” Jooheon replied, shaking his head.  “Your body may not be capable of supporting pups, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t conceive.  Which could cause some serious problems for your health, or the health of any pups that you might carry.”

Changkyun sighed, closing his eyes.  “This is all way more complicated than I thought it would be…”

“It just seems complicated because you haven’t had a lot of time to get used to all of it,” Jooheon replied.  “I learned about heats and everything else over a few years… you’re getting all of that information in less than 24 hours, and we still haven’t even gotten into a crash course on what will happen when you go into heat…”

“I don’t think I’m ready for this… can’t I just get something to make it stop until I have a chance to learn all of this?” Changkyun asked.

Jooheon shook his head.  “I don’t think you’d be able to convince the _hyungs_ to do that… not when you’ve been on them for three years.  I asked a doctor about it after my first heat once I got here, and I was told that it’s six months, max, before a break.”  Changkyun sighed, closing his eyes again and laying back down on the bed.  “It’s not that big of a deal… the suppressants aren’t good for you long-term, anyway.  And it isn’t like we’re going to leave you alone to deal with all of this, unless you _want_ to handle things on your own.”

Changkyun nodded at the older man’s explanation of why his plan wouldn’t work. He didn’t _want_ to hear that, but Changkyun felt sure that Jooheon was telling him the truth and looking out for his best interests.  “Is there _anything_ that can make it easier?”

“We’ll help you,” Jooheon replied.  “The first thing we need to do, though, is get you something to eat.  And probably get you started taking Minhyuk- _hyung_ ’s leftover contraceptive pills, so that you don’t have to worry about any of that when you _do_ go into heat.  Since you haven’t ever been in heat before, it could happen pretty quickly for you.”

“You really think that it could be soon?” Changkyun asked, feeling a little sick to his stomach at the thought.

“The longer you’re on suppressants, the faster it can come on,” Jooheon replied.  “Come on… let’s go down and ask Kihyun- _hyung_ to make you something to eat.  Then we can talk more about heats and all of that, so that you won’t be too shocked when things start.”

The apartment was even more remarkable as they made their way downstairs, and Changkyun couldn’t help being distracted as he followed Jooheon into the kitchen.  He almost didn’t even notice the person heading the opposite direction, until he bumped into him.  Changkyun stumbled slightly, surprised when the other person grabbed him by the shoulders.  “Whoa, there… you okay?”

Changkyun nodded at the other man’s question, surprised by the tall, thin Beta standing in front of him.  “You must be our guest… my name is Hyungwon.  Hyunwoo- _hyung_ mentioned you before he left this morning to go into the office…”

“It’s nice to meet you, Hyungwon- _ssi_ ,” Changkyun replied, bowing slightly as he pulled away from the older man.

“ _Hyun_ g, do you know where Kihyun- _hyung_ went?” Jooheon asked, from the other side of the taller man.  “Changkyun- _ah_ hasn’t eaten anything yet today, and I know Kihyun- _hyung_ was going to make something for him…”

“He had to run get something from Minhyuk- _hyung_ ,” Hyungwon replied, glancing at his phone screen.  “And I need to go… I have a class, and I’m going to miss the bus if I don’t leave right now.  It was nice to meet you, Changkyun- _ssi_.”

Hyungwon disappeared almost before Changkyun had a chance to process what he’d said.  “He’s still in school?” Changkyun asked, confused.  He felt sure that Hyungwon was older, and it didn’t make sense in Changkyun’s head.

“He’s almost done with his degree, but Hyunwoo- _hyung_ thinks he’ll probably choose to get a graduate degree when he’s done,” Jooheon replied.  “We’re the same age, but I missed a couple of years of high school.  Right now, I’m waiting for my exam results to find out if I did well enough to get into college or not.  If I get in, I’m going to study music production.”

Changkyun couldn’t help becoming interested when Jooheon mentioned music.  Although he hadn’t really been able to do anything with it while he was in the Training Center, Changkyun had loved writing and messing around on the piano when he’d been living in the children’s home.  “You write music?”

“I’m working on it,” Jooheon replied, smiling.  “I don’t know if what I’ve been working on is any good, but I’m having fun.  I can show you, if you’re interested…”

Changkyun nodded, smiling at the older man.  “I’d like that…”

“ _Aish_ … Hyunwoo- _hyung_ was right.”  Changkyun turned at the sound of a new voice.  There was a man close to his own height, with his dark hair combed back away from his forehead.  He looked much more put-together than the other two he’d seen that morning - Jooheon was still in pajamas, while Hyungwon had been wearing ripped jeans and an oversized hoodie.  But the newcomer was wearing a nicer pair of dark wash jeans, as well as a fitted woolen sweater.  “Well come on, then… we need to find something for you to eat.  I’m Kihyun, by the way.”

“Thank you, Kihyun- _ssi_ ,” Changkyun replied, as the man put a hand on his shoulder and began to guide him into the kitchen.

“What do you like to eat?  I have some rice ready, but that’s about it.  But I’ll cook something else you like to go with it…”

“Just rice is fine,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.  “Most of the meals they fed us at the Training Center were just small bowls of rice…”

“Please tell me that you aren’t being serious…” Kihyun began, stopping to look Changkyun in the eye in a way that Changkyun found unsettling.  “They really only fed you rice most of the time?”

“We had other things, too,” Changkyun replied.  “But breakfast was just rice.  And usually lunch was as well, especially when we were in trouble for something.  Sometimes dinner, too…”

Kihyun looked appalled at the revelation, before he nodded and began pulling Changkyun into the kitchen again.  “Right… we’re going to fix that ASAP.  For now, I’ll give you some rice to get started until I can get something else put together, but I don’t want you to fill up on it.  I’m going to make something else to go with it.”

Changkyun nodded as the older man guided him to a chair, sitting down and watching as Kihyun began moving around the kitchen.  “ _Hyung_ , can I do anything to help?” Jooheon asked.

“You’re a disaster waiting to happen, Jooheon- _ah_.  There’s no way I’m letting you anywhere near my kitchen appliances…”. Changkyun glanced over at the elder Omega, who shrugged in response to Changkyun’s questioning look.  “Don’t play dumb, Lee Jooheon- _ah_ … you managed to burn _water_ the last time you attempted to cook in here.  _And_ you ruined one of my best saucepans in the process!”

“Right… I forgot about that…” Jooheon replied, sitting down next to Changkyun.  “Kihyun- _hyung_ is by far the best cook in the pack, so he takes care of most of our meals for us.  I’m only allowed to use the microwave and the electric kettle.”

“Be glad I still let you touch those,” Kihyun interjected, as he dished up a bowl from the rice cooker.  “I only have those rules for the safety of the whole pack… some people around here are too clumsy for their own good, and I don’t want them to set the whole building on fire trying to make ramyun.”

“I’ve never ruined ramyun, _hyung_ …”

“Burnt.  Water.”  Changkyun couldn’t help the slight smile that started to spread across his face at the interaction; it was amusing to see the two pack members arguing over something so minor.  It was obvious that there were no real hard feelings between the two of them.

A bowl of rice and a spoon were placed in front of Changkyun.  “Thank you, Kihyun- _ssi_.”

“Don’t mention it, Changkyun- _ah_.  Go ahead and start eating… I’ll get something else for you to eat, too.”  Kihyun went back to the kitchen counter, beginning to work on more food as Changkyun began to eat.

Even though it was just rice, it was much better than the rice Changkyun had eaten at the Training Center.  It was obvious that the rice cooker was working properly, as there were no uncooked grains and none of it turned to mush under the weight of the spoon - both traits that the rice he’d been eating for the past three years had often had, sometimes simultaneously.

“ _Yah_ … don’t eat too fast, or you’ll make yourself sick!” Jooheon commented, as he noticed that Changkyun was practically shoveling the food into his mouth.  Changkyun put his spoon down at the man’s words, confused.  “You aren’t at the Training Center, Changkyun- _ah_ … you can take your time and enjoy your food.  No one is going to take it from you or yell if you take too long, although Kihyun- _hyung_ might make you wash the dishes if you’re the last one eating…”

“I can wash up…” Changkyun volunteered.

“Not today,” Kihyun replied, from where he was working across the room.  “If you decide to stay, I may take you up on that offer.  But for now, you should just focus on taking care of yourself.”

Changkyun nodded, picking up the spoon again so that he could eat the rest of his rice, although more slowly than he had been before.  He still managed to finish while Kihyun was still working on preparing something else for him to eat, which made Changkyun more than a little uncomfortable.  It wasn’t something he was used to; in the Training Center, Changkyun had gotten used to never being idle - there was always some task he had to complete, or someone watching to insure that he didn’t have any time to get himself into trouble.

“I should probably get dressed,” Changkyun began, picking up his bowl and spoon and starting to take them over to the sink.  

“That can happen after you eat.”

Changkyun was torn; while he wanted to agree with the Beta, he still felt guilty about not _doing_ anything.  “But… I should be doing _something_ …” he began.

“Then we can talk about heats and all of that stuff - I haven’t forgotten that we need to make sure you understand everything like you’re supposed to before anything happens,” Jooheon replied.  Changkyun nodded, putting his dishes in the sink before moving back to his original seat.  “What _do_ you know about sex?”

Changkyun shrugged.  “We didn’t have much of a school where I grew up… they made sure that we could read and write, but there wasn’t much more than that…”

“ _Aish_ … that’s _really_ fucked up,” Jooheon replied, shaking his head.  “Okay, so we need to make sure you know what’s going to happen to your body when you go into heat… I’m going to assume that you don’t know anything beyond what we talked about last night.”

Changkyun nodded slowly, biting his bottom lip.  “Don’t let him freak you out, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Kihyun commented from the other side of the room.  “It’s normal and natural - and whatever you may think, you’ll survive and be fine.”

“It really isn’t bad, if you’ll let us take care of you,” Jooheon replied.  “We know what we’re doing, and we’ll make it as easy as possible on you if you’ll let us.”

“I just… I don’t have any idea what’s going to happen.”

“Well, the first thing that’s going to happen is that you’re going to feel tired and a little feverish.  That usually lasts a few hours, and you might start having cramps and back pain, too… not everyone has that, but sometimes it can be pretty bad.  You can take medicine for it, so if you need anything just ask us.”

“It won’t cause problems to take medicine?” Changkyun asked.

“Not at all… there are medicines made specifically for Omegas in heat, but any painkillers are okay as long as you aren’t allergic or something like that,” Jooheon replied.  “It gets worse as you get closer to actually being in heat… so you might be okay early on, and then decide later that you need something to help.  It’s really important that you try to eat and drink plenty of water when you’re going into heat, because it’s really easy to get dehydrated and lose weight and you can’t really afford that right now…”

“Just tell me, and I’ll be sure to make you whatever you want to eat,” Kihyun interjected, as he was still cooking. 

“He always cooks for the Omegas in the pack when they’re going into heat… Kihyun- _hyung_ looks out for us really well,” Jooheon replied.

Changkyun nodded.  “So then what happens?” he asked, leaning back in his chair slightly.  It didn’t seem that bad, but Changkyun knew that there was still a lot that they hadn’t covered yet.

“Minhyuk- _hyung_ usually starts to get really clingy the closer he gets to actually being in heat…”

“He turns into a fucking koala,” Kihyun interjected, which made Jooheon laugh.

“He usually grabs onto the nearest person and just clings until Hyunwoo- _hyung_ picks him up and takes him into the nest,” Jooheon added.  “I’m not quite as bad, but I usually feel an overwhelming need to be close to other members of the pack.  I’m not sure what it’ll be like for you, because I joined the pack so long ago.  But the whole point is that we’re supposed to be with people we trust, because we need to feel safe.”

Changkyun was surprised when Kihyun placed a new bowl in front of him, with rice and sautéed vegetables.  “You can always come to anyone in the pack if you need us… heats are tough, and we’ll all be here for you.”

“So what comes next?” Changkyun asked, biting down on his bottom lip as he picked at the food, still unsure of how talking about all of this made him feel.

“You’ll start wanting someone to touch you… everything gets really sensitive, and you’ll just want sex.  Your body might start making slick, and you’ll get hard.  That’s when your heat really starts, and things will get really intense,” Jooheon replied.  “It’s only bad if you try to stop yourself from getting what you need.  But if you’re willing to experiment and figure out what you like, it can actually be pretty awesome.”


	4. Questioning

Changkyun had to admit that he was thankful for the members of Hyunwoo’s pack as the day wore on.  Although he still wasn’t completely comfortable with being in an unfamiliar place, everyone in the house seemed to be concerned with making sure that he was okay and doing whatever they could to help him get used to the large penthouse and all of the new people.  Minhyuk had found him and given him a tour of the place after his conversation with Jooheon and Kihyun, and Hoseok had brought home a bag of new clothing for Changkyun so that he wouldn’t have to borrow Kihyun’s things indefinitely.  Hyungwon had returned from class with a couple of packs of yogurt drinks, and he’d specifically sought out Changkyun to make sure he got one before the others could get them all.  It was strange, but Changkyun couldn’t help feeling as though he belonged even though it had been less than 24 hours since he’d arrived.

“Changkyun- _ah_ … is it okay with you if we talk now?”  Changkyun looked up at the sound of Hyunwoo’s voice as he sat next to Jooheon, watching what the elder Omega was doing on the computer as Jooheon worked on some work for one of his music production classes.  Changkyun nodded, getting up and following the Alpha out of the small music studio and down the hall towards the man’s office.  “Make yourself comfortable… I don’t want to sit here and talk for too long, but I need to ask you some questions for the investigation.  Is it okay if I record our conversation?”

“It’s fine, Alpha,” Changkyun replied, immediately slipping back into his old habits as he sat down on a couch next to the Alpha’s desk.

Changkyun watched as the man set up a small recorder, pulling out a notebook and a pen so that he could take notes as needed.  “Right… it’s important that you tell me the truth, and that you give me as many details as you can while we’re talking.  I’m going to ask you questions, but it’s important that you tell me anything else that you can think of, even if I don’t ask about it.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“You don’t have to call me Alpha, Changkyun- _ah_.  It’s okay to call me Hyunwoo, or even _hyung_ ,” Hyunwoo replied.

“I’m sorry…” Changkyun began, looking down at his lap.

“You don’t have to apologize, Changkyun- _ah_.  I just want you to be comfortable with me… especially if you decide that you want to stay with us long-term,” Hyunwoo replied, reaching out to lift Changkyun’s chin.  “Are you going to be okay to answer my questions?”

“Yes, Hyunwoo- _ssi_.” 

The Alpha turned on the audio recorder, speaking into the device in a clear voice.  “Right… I need you to state your name for the record.”

“It’s Changkyun,” he replied, turning towards the device as much as he could while still sitting in the couch.

“And your family name?”

Changkyun was confused by the question; Hyunwoo knew that Changkyun didn’t know that information.  But he decided that it would be better to answer anyway.  “I don’t know… I’m an orphan, and no one ever told me my family name.”

“Where are you from, Changkyun- _ssi_?”

“Hogye-dong, Anyang,” Changkyun replied.  “I don’t know where I was born, but that’s where the children’s home was.”

“How old were you when you left the children’s home?”

“Sixteen… the staff always took anyone who presented as an Omega to the Training Center when they presented.  They said that it was because we weren’t safe with the Alphas and Betas in the home…”

“Changkyun… do you remember the name of the Children’s Home you lived in?” Hyunwoo asked.  Changkyun shook his head, looking back at his lap again.  “I need you to answer verbally, Changkyun- _ssi_ , for the tape.”

“I’m sorry… no, I don’t remember,” Changkyun replied.  “It was the only children’s home in the neighborhood.  But that may have changed by now…”

“It’s okay… just tell me about the children’s home.  What was it like?”

Changkyun thought for a moment, trying to decide what was important enough to say on the tape.  “I don’t really know what life would have been like if I hadn’t been in the children’s home… I don’t know anything about my parents or their pack, because I was so small when they died.  No one in the home ever told me anything, not even when I was leaving.

“They used food as a reward, or as a way to punish us if we weren’t good enough,” Changkyun commented, taking a deep breath.  “The Training Center was the same… any time I screwed up, they would withhold the best parts, or sometimes not feed me at all.  The children’s home didn’t physically hurt us, but at the Training Center they would hit us as well.”

“You were abused…”

“It was still happening the day before you came and got me,” Changkyun replied, looking down at his lap.  “I said something they didn’t like during an interview with a different Alpha.  The woman you were talking to at the Training Center… she beat me until she broke the skin…”

Changkyun heard the tape recorder turn off, and he looked up.  Hyunwoo looked concerned.  “Changkyun- _ah_ … can I see your injuries?  I’d like to make sure that you don’t need medical attention before we continue.”

“It isn’t that bad,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.

“I’d feel better seeing it for myself… at the very least, we need to make sure that we take proper care of your injuries so that they don’t become anything more serious,” Hyunwoo replied.  Changkyun nodded, standing up so that he could lift the tee shirt he still wore from the previous night.  He turned around, letting the Alpha see his back.  Changkyun closed his eyes as he felt Hyunwoo lifting the shirt a little higher, wincing as the man’s hand brushed against one of the spots where the skin had broken.  “ _Aish_ … I think we need to take you to the hospital now, rather than waiting to finish the interview.  Some of the spots where they broke the skin are really red and irritated… I’m amazed it isn’t hurting you…”

“I’m used to it,” Changkyun replied, shrugging slightly as the Alpha allowed the fabric of his shirt to fall down over his back again.  “I can’t always control my mouth…”

The alpha was quiet for a moment, before Changkyun felt a hand resting on his shoulder.  “I promise you, Changkyun- _ah_ … we will _never_ treat you that way.”  Changkyun closed his eyes, not realizing that he was wavering on his feet until he felt Hyunwoo moving to wrap a strong arm around his waist.  “Right… I think we need to go to the hospital now.  Would you feel more comfortable if I asked Minhyuk- _ah_ or Jooheon- _ah_ to go with us?”

Changkyun shook his head.  “I’ll be okay…”

“Okay… let’s go get you checked out, then,” Hyunwoo replied, guiding Changkyun towards the entryway to the apartment, so that they could collect their shoes.

Jooheon was coming out of his studio as they walked by, and the elder Omega smiled at Changkyun.  “Hey… already finished?”

“We’re putting the interview on hold for right now… Changkyun- _ah_ has some injuries that need to be looked at, so we’re going to make a trip to the hospital,” Hyunwoo replied, keeping his arm around Changkyun’s waist.  “It isn’t anything serious, but I want it to be properly documented and to make sure none of them are infected…”

Changkyun could see the concern on Jooheon’s face.  “ _Aish_ … Changkyun- _ah_ , why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?  I could have helped…”

“It isn’t that bad…” Changkyun began, looking down at the floor.  “I’ll be okay, Jooheon- _ssi_ …”  Jooheon didn’t seem all that convinced, especially as he began following them towards the door.

“Let’s go, then, and get it over with… when we get back, we can cuddle on the couch and watch a movie or something,” Jooheon replied, putting his arm around Changkyun from the other side so that the younger Omega was sandwiched between the two members of the pack.

The trip to the hospital was uncomfortable for Changkyun, although he wasn’t sure exactly _why_ he felt so awkward as Jooheon kept an arm around him the whole ride and tried his best to talk softly to Changkyun in an attempt at keeping him calm.  But he could feel the panic starting to build low in his stomach as they pulled into the parking lot at the hospital.  “ _Aish_ … it’s okay, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Jooheon commented softly, leaning in so that he could whisper in Changkyun’s ear.  “It’s just a doctor… they’re just going to look at your injuries, and maybe give you some kind of medicine after they take some pictures.  Nothing serious, okay?  Nothing to stress out about.”

“I don’t like doctors…” Changkyun admitted, closing his eyes and trying to calm himself with a couple of deep breaths.

“And that’s okay.”  Changkyun was surprised to hear Hyunwoo’s voice; he hadn’t even noticed the Alpha coming around to the back seat of the car to help them out.  “Jooheon- _ah_ and I will be with you the whole time, if that’s okay with you.  All you have to do is tell the nurses that you want us in the room… you get to make that decision, okay?  Even if you only want one of us there, you can choose that, too.”

“We’re going to do whatever you’re comfortable with, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Jooheon added.  

“But I can’t choose to _not_ go to the doctor…” Changkyun began.

“We’re only bringing you to the hospital because we’re concerned about your health,” Hyunwoo replied.  “Some of your wounds look like they might be infected, and it’s concerning.  There’s a difference between allowing you to make decisions about who you want to have with you and allowing you to choose to ignore something that could potentially cause you serious harm.  My job as the pack Alpha is to protect the members of the pack.  And as long as you’re staying with us, that includes you, too…”

Changkyun felt the tears stinging at his eyes as Hyunwoo spoke - not because he was upset, but because he was overwhelmed by the fact that someone cared so much about him, even though he was such a mess.  “It’s okay, Changkyun- _ah_ … it isn’t anything to be upset about…” Jooheon began.

“I’m not upset,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head as he reached up to wipe away the tears.  “I just… I don’t understand why you care so much…”

“Because we like you,” Jooheon replied, as Hyunwoo stroked a hand through Changkyun’s hair.  “There’s something that draws us towards you… I don’t know if it’s because you’re young and innocent and we want to protect you, or if there’s something else.  But I know that I want to take care of you…”

“It isn’t just Jooheon, either,” Hyunwoo added.  “You’re worthy of being loved and cared for, Changkyun- _ah_.  And it’s hard to ignore the desire to try and take care of you.”  

Changkyun closed his eyes, nodding as the two older men continued to hold him and stroke his hair.  “I’ll go in…” he finally commented, opening his eyes and taking a deep breath.  “I just want to get it over with.”

Hyunwoo smiled at him, holding out a hand to help Changkyun out of the vehicle and keeping an arm carefully around his waist as they waited for Jooheon to get out as well.  “It hopefully won’t take too long; I’m going to do my best to hurry things along, so that we aren’t stuck here all evening.”

Changkyun was thankful for the Alpha’s ability to take control of the situation, explaining everything to the triage nurse and getting everything settled as Jooheon settled Changkyun on a couch at one end of the waiting room.  Jooheon kept an arm around Changkyun as they waited, stroking a hand through his hair whenever it seemed as if Changkyun was beginning to stress out again.

“We’ll have to wait a little while, but the nurse said they aren’t too busy right now,” Hyunwoo commented as he walked over and sat down on Changkyun’s other side.  They weren’t there for too long before a nurse called Changkyun back, and he held onto Jooheon’s hand as they made their way back into an exam room, with Hyunwoo following behind the two Omegas.


	5. Sick

Changkyun was definitely _not_ happy with the IV line that had been left in his arm when he’d been released from the hospital that morning, even though he understood the reasoning behind it.  His doctor had decided to keep him overnight to start IV antibiotics for the infection that had settled into some of the injuries on his back, and he’d been released that morning to continue antibiotic treatment from home.  The problem, however, was that he was essentially stuck in his bed - or at least somewhere on the second floor of the apartment where his room was located - for the majority of the day, as he didn’t have the option to take the IV system downstairs.  And given the fact that most of the pack had things to do during the day, Changkyun was left bored most of the time.

“How are you feeling?”  Changkyun turned towards the bedroom door, surprised to see Hoseok standing in the doorway.  It was obvious to Changkyun that the Alpha was hesitating to come into the room, and Changkyun felt compelled to sit up despite the fact that his stomach was upset from the antibiotics.

“I’m bored…” Changkyun began, biting back the urge to call Hoseok “Alpha” as he had been trained to do.

The Alpha smiled at Changkyun, slowly making his way into the room and sitting down at the foot of the bed.  “How long did the doctor say you’d need the IV antibiotics?” Hoseok asked.

“A couple of weeks,” Changkyun replied, shrugging.  “I just feel stuck in here… I can’t take all of this downstairs.”  Changkyun motioned towards the IV pole that had been set up next to the bed, complete with the pump and the bags of fluids and medication that Kihyun had helped him set up when he’d first gotten home.

“Who says?” Hoseok asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I can’t lift it…” Changkyun began, holding up his left hand so that the man could see the IV line snaking into the back of his hand.  “I’m not supposed to do anything that might pull it out… the nurse is only going to come every four or five days to replace it…”

Hoseok smiled, shaking his head.  “But there’s no prohibition against someone _else_ carrying it downstairs for you, is there?” the Alpha asked.  Changkyun shook his head, still a little confused about what the man was suggesting.  “So then technically, if I were to carry the IV pole downstairs it would be okay.”

“You would do that for me?” Changkyun asked, surprised by the fact that Hoseok was willing to do something like that for him, without Changkyun even asking.

“Of course… it’ll keep you of dying of boredom, and you’ll be able to eat dinner with all of us and hang out tonight,” Hoseok replied.  “What do you say… do you want me to help you come downstairs?”

Changkyun nodded slowly, smiling at the idea.  He’d started to miss having other people around; although Jooheon had stayed with him at the hospital the previous night, Changkyun had found himself becoming lonely in the hours since he’d arrived back at the apartment building.  While Kihyun had been there to help set everything up, the Beta had been forced to leave him alone to go into work.  Hyungwon and Jooheon both had school, while Hyunwoo and Hoseok had also needed to go into work and Minhyuk hadn’t been feeling well.  Changkyun had been left a phone with everyone’s numbers, but he’d felt uncomfortable with the idea of bothering anyone with his boredom.

It didn’t take long for Hoseok to get the IV pump unplugged from the wall and everything wrapped up so that nothing would trip either of them up as they made their way downstairs.  Changkyun had to admit that he was thankful for the Alpha’s help as they finally arrived on the first floor of the apartment.  “There… how long will the battery on this thing last, anyway?”

“I’m not sure…” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.  “All I was told was that I should leave it plugged in when I can.”

“Probably better if you go hang out in the living room for a while, then… there are plenty of outlets, and Jooheon will be home from class soon.  Do you want anything to eat?” Hoseok asked.  Changkyun shook his head, grabbing the IV pole and beginning to push it towards the living room.  “When was the last time you ate anything?”

“This morning… I’m really not hungry,” Changkyun replied.

“Are the antibiotics making you feel sick?”  Changkyun nodded as they walked into the living room together.  “Let me go get some rice for you to try and eat… it’ll be easy on your stomach, and it might help if you have _something_ in there.”

“Okay…” Changkyun replied, although he wasn’t completely convinced that it was a good idea to try to eat.

“Go sit and relax… there’s probably something good on television…”

Changkyun nodded, doing what he was told and taking the IV pole into the living room to plug it in before settling in on one end of one of the couches.  He wasn’t alone for long before Minhyuk joined him, sitting close against Changkyun’s right side and putting an arm around his shoulders.  “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to hang out earlier… morning sickness is awful, and I didn’t think you would want to listen to me throwing up…”

“Can we not talk about that?” Changkyun asked softly, grimacing at the mere mention of vomit.  His stomach was definitely still upset, and just thinking about it was _not_ a good idea.

“Are you okay?” Minhyuk asked, gently rubbing the back of Changkyun’s neck.  “You look a little pale…”

“My stomach hurts,” Changkyun admitted, closing his eyes.  “The doctor said that the antibiotics might make me feel a little sick…”

“I’m sorry.”  Changkyun felt Minhyuk stroking the soft hairs on the back of his neck.  “Have you tried to eat anything yet?  I can probably get Kihyun- _ah_ to make something when he gets home…”

“Hoseok- _ssi_ is getting something for me to eat now,” Changkyun replied, relaxing against the elder Omega with a soft sigh.  “I’m not sure if I can eat anything, though… my stomach is really unhappy with me right now.”  Changkyun felt Minhyuk adjusting their positions, so that Changkyun was leaning back against the elder Omega.  “Are you feeling better?”

“I feel fine… the weird thing is that eating makes me feel better,” Minhyuk replied.  “Maybe having something in your stomach will help you, too…”

“It’s worth a shot,” Changkyun replied, thankful when Hoseok appeared at that moment with a bowl of rice.  He took the bowl and spoon from the Alpha, moving the grains around for a moment before finally getting some onto the spoon and starting off with a small bite.

“Just eat whatever you can for right now… you can always eat more when it’s time for dinner,” Minhyuk replied.  “At least you don’t have to worry about getting dehydrated, since they have you on fluids, too.  Although we do need to put some weight on you…”

“ _Yah_ … we can worry about all of that once he’s better.  As long as he doesn’t lose weight, it’s fine for now,” Hoseok replied.  Changkyun nodded, taking another small bite of rice.  While it wasn’t really helping the nausea, Changkyun knew that the older men were only asking him to eat because it was in his best interests to do so.

Changkyun didn’t really pay much attention as Minhyuk turned on the television, instead trying to focus on getting the rice down and keeping it in his stomach.  He’d made it a little over halfway through before he had to stop, setting the bowl down in his lap and letting his head rest against Minhyuk’s shoulder.  “You okay, Changkyun- _ah_?”

“I don’t think I can eat any more…” Changkyun replied, closing his eyes.  His stomach was definitely upset, but Changkyun didn’t particularly want to move for fear that he would end up getting sick.

“I’m going to go bring you a trash can…” Hoseok began, heading out of the room quickly.

“Please don’t puke on me, kid… I’ve already had to change clothes once today because of vomit,” Minhyuk added, stroking Changkyun’s hair softly.  “Just try to hold it in until Hoseok- _hyung_ gets back, okay?”

“I think I’ll be okay, as long as I don’t eat more,” Changkyun replied, trying to take a couple of deep breaths in the hope that it would keep the rice in his stomach.  “You’ll stay with me, right?”

“I have no plans to move, unless I have to pee,” Minhyuk replied.  “But I can’t help that one, because that’s the fault of the pups.”

Changkyun didn’t really remember falling asleep in Minhyuk’s arms, nor did he even notice when Minhyuk was replaced by Hyungwon so that the elder omega could go deal with his full bladder.  It wasn’t until Changkyun woke up, confused, that he realized he was being cuddled by someone completely different.  

“How are you feeling?” the Beta asked, continuing to stroke Changkyun’s hair even though the Omega was awake.

“Okay… my stomach is still kind of upset, but not as bad as it was before I fell asleep,” Changkyun replied.  “Where did Minhyuk- _ssi_ go?”

“He had to go to the bathroom, and then Hyunwoo- _hyung_ came home and asked him to help him with something,” Hyungwon replied, shifting Changkyun slightly in his arms.  “I can go get him…?”

“No… that’s okay,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.  “I don’t want to be alone…”

There was a moment of silence, before Hyungwon sighed.  “ _Aish_ … you were stuck upstairs alone in your room all afternoon, weren’t you?”  Changkyun nodded slowly.  “I’ll make sure someone helps you downstairs tomorrow morning, okay?  I don’t know if I can carry that thing, but I can at least make sure someone remembers, so that you don’t have to be bored to death.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Changkyun replied softly.

“Still, you need something to keep you entertained while we’re all busy during the day if Minhyuk- _hyung_ isn’t feeling well…and it probably isn’t good for you to be where you can’t get food on your own,” Hyungwon commented, still stroking Changkyun’s hair.  “Speaking of which, I’m supposed to ask you if you think you can stomach fried chicken, or if you’d rather have something else.  Kihyun- _hyung_ is ordering chicken for most of us, but he said that he could make you something else if you’re unsure…”

“I’ll try,” Changkyun replied.  “I don’t want to put anyone out…”

“You wouldn’t be putting me out,” Kihyun commented, as the beta walked into Changkyun’s line of vision with his next dose of antibiotics.  “I’m not going to force you to eat something that might make you feel sick.  I only ordered chicken because Minhyuk- _ah_ requested it, but if you want something else I’ll gladly cook for you.  The most important thing is that you eat as much as you can.”

Changkyun nodded, although he still felt a little uncomfortable with the idea of asking for anything else.  “I still think I’d like to try… I’ve never had fried chicken before…”

There was a moment of silence as Kihyun stopped what he was doing, turning to look at Changkyun instead of finishing setting up the next dose.  “You’ve never had fried chicken?  Seriously?”

“No… I heard about it from friends in school, but we didn’t ever get it at the children’s home,” Changkyun replied.

“ _Aish_ … that’s really depressing…” Hyungwon began, as Kihyun went back to working on replacing the bags of medication hanging on Changkyun’s IV.  

“We can always get fried chicken some other time, though, if you really aren’t feeling that well,” Kihyun replied.  “I don’t want you to feel sick all night if it doesn’t agree with you.”

Changkyun looked down at his lap.  “I really don’t want to put anyone out… but if it doesn’t sit well with my stomach I’ll let you know,” he replied.

“Okay.  Just don’t push yourself too much,” Kihyun replied, finishing getting everything set up before unhooking the previous bag of IV fluids and inserting the line into the new one.  Once it was running, the man quickly replaced the bag of antibiotics.  It didn’t take long, but Changkyun was thankful when it was all over and done with.

“You still doing okay?” Hyungwon asked, stroking Changkyun’s hair.

“Yeah… changing the IVs doesn’t bother me,” Changkyun replied, closing his eyes.  “My stomach is probably going to stay upset until the antibiotics are done… the doctor said that was a common side effect of this one.”

“But otherwise you feel okay?” Hyungwon asked.  Changkyun nodded.  “You’ll let us know if that changes, right?”  Changkyun nodded again, as he felt someone placing a light blanket over his legs.  “Sleep, pup.  We’ll wake you up when it’s time to eat.”


	6. Weak

Changkyun’s stomach was churning painfully as he woke up, and it was just about all he could do to keep the contents of his stomach down as he fought to disentangle himself from the blanket that had been put over him while he slept.  He didn’t even make it to unplug the IV before he could no longer hold back the bile that had been rising up the back of his throat.  Changkyun fell to his knees, leaning over as everything in his stomach came back up all over the floor.

By the time his stomach settled, Changkyun barely had the energy to keep himself upright instead of falling over into the pool of vomit in the floor.  It took him a second to recognize that someone had put an arm around his shoulders, holding him up and whispering comforting words in his ear that didn’t quite register.

“ _Aish_ … Hoseok- _ah_ , get him back on the couch while I go get Kihyun- _ah_ to help me clean him up…”  Minhyuk’s voice finally broke through the haze of exhaustion that left Changkyun feeling confused and disoriented, as he was transferred over to a different set of arms and gently moved back onto the couch.  A gentle hand stroked through his sweaty hair, pushing it back out of his face.

“What happened?” Hyunwoo asked.  Changkyun didn’t open his eyes, but he could feel his cheeks burning from embarrassment.

“He woke up and got sick… Minhyuk- _ah_ went to get Kihyun- _ah_ to help clean him up,” Hoseok replied.  “Poor kid’s exhausted… I think we should put him to bed once they get him cleaned up.  The medicine they have him on seems to be hell on his system…”

“The doctor said it would probably upset his stomach… but I guess that it’s worse than it sounded,” Hyunwoo commented.  “If he got that sick, I’m not sure how we’re going to keep him from losing weight while he’s on the IV’s… we didn’t even feed him a proper dinner yet…”

“How’s he doing?” Kihyun asked.  Changkyun tried to force his eyes open as he felt a cool, damp washcloth being placed on his forehead.  “Hey… how are you feeling, kid?”

“Tired…” Changkyun replied, wincing slightly at the rough sound of his voice as he spoke.

“Well, at least you managed to not cover yourself, too,” Kihyun commented softly, putting a hand underneath Changkyun’s head.  “Let’s sit you up so that you can try to drink a little water, okay?  I know that you won’t get dehydrated thanks to the IV, but it’ll at least get the taste out of your mouth.”  The Beta was gentle with him as Changkyun tried to sit up, Kihyun gently supporting most of Changkyun’s weight as he held a glass of water to Changkyun’s lips.  He only took a couple of sips, before reaching up weakly to push the glass away.  “You should try to drink some more…”

“I just want to sleep,” Changkyun replied.

“We’ll take him upstairs,” Hyunwoo volunteered.  “Do you want to carry him or the IV, Hoseok- _ah_?”

“I’ll get him,” Hoseok replied, moving to put one of Changkyun’s arms around his neck and lifting him gently off the couch.  Changkyun closed his eyes, leaning his head against the man’s shoulder.  “We’ll get you some clean pajamas, and then you can get some sleep, kid.”  Changkyun nodded slightly, relaxing into the Alpha’s arms.  He felt safe there, in Hoseok’s protective hold.

“Maybe we should have someone stay with him tonight… as sick as he just got, I’m worried about how he’s going to do on his own…” Hyunwoo commented.  Changkyun knew that the Alphas thought he was asleep already, although he hadn’t quite succumbed completely to his exhaustion.

“I’m not understanding why the hospital released him… if the side effects are this bad, shouldn’t he be monitored more closely?” Hoseok asked.

“I don’t think they were expecting it to be this bad,” Hyunwoo replied.  “If this keeps up, I’ll take him back to the hospital.  But I hate to see him like this…”

There was a moment of silence, before Hoseok spoke again.  “ _Hyun_ g _…_ we’re going to ask him to stay, right?”

“Of course we are… everyone seems to really like him, and even if he decides not to become a member of our pack, we can still give him some stability while he sorts things out,” Hyunwoo replied.  Changkyun felt Hoseok gently laying him down on the bed as Hyunwoo spoke, before carefully adjusting him into a more comfortable position.  “Let’s not worry too much about getting his clothes changed… he seems like he’s pretty out of it, and sleep will be better than anything else right now.”

“I’m going to stay with him for a while, make sure that he’s okay and settled,” Hoseok replied.

“Hoseok- _ah_ …”  There was a slight warning in Hyunwoo’s tone.

“I’m just going to watch over him for a bit… I’ll get one of the others to stay with him overnight.”  Changkyun could feel Hoseok gently pushing the hair out of his face as he spoke.

“You can’t fall for him yet, Hoseok- _ah_.  It’s not the right time for that to happen… he’s still too new to everything, and he has a lot of trauma to deal with before he’s ready to think about becoming part of a pack,” Hyunwoo replied.  “Changkyun- _ah_ ’s life up until this point hasn’t been like yours or mine… he’s been institutionalized for as long as he can remember.  I don’t know how he’s going to deal with it if we fall for him.”

“I promise, _hyung_ … I have no intention of doing anything to hurt him,” Hoseok replied.  “I get that he needs some time.  I just want to make sure he’s okay right now, because he looks pretty bad.  I don’t think Changkyun- _ah_ should be left alone when he just threw up all the rice we fed him earlier…”

There was a brief moment of silence.  “I’ll get one of the others to bring you some dinner… and Kihyun- _ah_ will probably want to bring him some soup or something to try and get him to eat again.”

Nothing happened for a few moments, until Changkyun felt the bed shifting slightly under Hoseok’s weight.  Changkyun let his eyes open slightly, looking up at the Alpha as Hoseok shifted his torso so that Changkyun was leaning against the older man’s chest.  “It’s okay, Changkyun- _ah_ … you can go back to sleep.”

“I want to stay, Hoseok- _ssi_ …” Changkyun commented, letting his eyes close again.

“You heard that?”  Changkyun nodded slightly, relaxing back into the man’s embrace.  “We do want you to stay, Changkyun- _ah_.  Even if you don’t feel comfortable joining the pack, you’re welcome here.”  Hoseok stroked a hand through Changkyun’s hair as he spoke, clearly trying to help Changkyun relax back into sleep.  “Just rest for now, though… you can make decisions when you’re feeling better.  All you should be focusing on at the moment is getting enough rest and trying to get better.”

“But you’ll tell Hyunwoo- _ssi_ …?” Changkyun asked.

“We can all discuss it when you’re feeling better,” Hoseok replied.  “Sleep now.  You’re not going to heal if you don’t let us take care of you properly, and right now your body is trying to tell you that you need more sleep.”

Changkyun nodded, finally allowing himself to relax and drift off to sleep again until he was woken up by the uncomfortable sensation of his body trying to rid itself of the contents of his stomach when there was nothing more than a little bile to come up.  He was thankful that Hoseok was still there, grabbing a bowl that Changkyun didn’t remember being in the room and holding it under Changkyun’s chin so that the little that did come up didn’t get everywhere.

The dry heaving hurt, and Changkyun found himself collapsing against Hoseok’s chest as soon as he was finished.  “You okay…?”  The Alpha gently stroked Changkyun’s hair out of his face as he spoke, still holding the bowl underneath Changkyun’s chin.

“Sorry…”

“You don’t have to apologize, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Hoseok replied, finally moving the bowl away from his face and putting it down off to the side.  The Alpha carefully adjusted Changkyun’s body into a more comfortable position for both of them, before moving one of his hands to gently rub small circles on Changkyun’s back.  “Let’s get you some water, okay?  You need to try and drink, even if you are on that IV for a few days.”  Changkyun nodded, letting his eyes close for a moment as Hoseok shifted him again as the Alpha moved to grab a bottle of water.

“I’m tired…”

“I know… just stay awake for a few more minutes, okay?  I just want to make sure you’re getting enough water,” Hoseok replied.  Changkyun nodded slightly, forcing his eyes open again.  The Alpha carefully held he bottle to Changkyun’s lips, tilting the bottle just enough for Changkyun to drink without dribbling water everywhere.  “Good… is your stomach still upset?”  Changkyun nodded, letting his eyes close again as Hoseok finally took the bottle away.  “We should try to get something in your stomach… that might make you feel better…”

“I don’t know if I can…” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.

“Just a little, okay?  If you can keep something down, Hyunwoo- _hyung_ might not need to take you into the hospital again,” Hoseok commented.  Changkyun felt the Alpha gently stroking his hair, almost as if the Alpha _wanted_ Changkyun to fall asleep again.  “I know that throwing up isn’t fun, but it has to be worse not having anything in your stomach… even if you don’t think it will stop you from getting sick, it might at least help make the fact that you’re getting sick a little easier.”

“I don’t want to be sick…” Changkyun replied, whimpering softly.  He didn’t mean to whine, but he felt awful and the last thing Changkyun wanted was to think about anything that might make him the least bit sick.  “I just want to sleep…”

Hoseok sighed, rubbing Changkyun’s back.  “I’m going to go down and get something for you to try… try to stay awake for me, okay?”  Changkyun nodded as the Alpha carefully lifted his body, placing Changkyun carefully against the pillows so that he could get out of the bed.  “Just give me five minutes… as soon as you’ve eaten something, we’ll get you changed into some pajamas and I’ll get Jooheon- _ah_ to come stay with you for the night…”

Changkyun couldn’t really keep himself awake as he waited for Hoseok, although it was more drifting in and out rather than actually fully going to sleep.  “Changkyun- _ah_?”  Changkyun forced his eyes open at the sound of Jooheon’s voice, forcing a smile for the older Omega.  “Hoseok- _hyung_ asked me to come help you get changed into some pajamas.  Do you think you can get up if I help you?”

“I’m okay,” Changkyun replied, not moving as he let his eyes close again.  “I’m comfortable already…”

“You’re supposed to stay awake until you’ve eaten something,” Jooheon replied.  Changkyun felt the bed shift slightly under the elder Omega’s weight.  “Come on… let’s get you into something more comfortable.  Then we can just cuddle for a while.”  Changkyun let the other Omega help him sit up, leaning heavily against Jooheon because he was so exhausted.  “Not going to make this easy, huh?”

“I’m so tired…” Changkyun replied, although he did his best to keep his eyes open and help as Jooheon moved him to sit against the headboard.  “I’m sorry you have to do all of this for me…”

“It’s okay,” Jooheon replied, as he walked over to the dresser.  Changkyun wasn’t sure exactly when the pack had stocked the dresser with clothing, but he was thankful that they had thought of him and made sure to have something ready for him if he needed it.  “Everybody needs a little help sometimes… and it isn’t like you’re going to be sick forever.  It’s just a couple of weeks, and then you’ll be okay.”

Changkyun nodded as the man walked back over to the bed with a pair of pajamas and some clean underwear.  “I just wish there was something I could do to make it up to all of you…” Changkyun began.

“We can figure something out when you’re finished with the antibiotics and feel like a human again,” Jooheon replied.  “For now, just help me get you changed, and we’ll settle in for the night after you’ve tried to eat something else.”

Changkyun did his best to cooperate and help Jooheon change his clothes, although the IV line was more than a little annoying as they had to clamp the line and unhook everything to change his shirt, before plugging it all back in and restarting the IV.  But finally they were finished, and Jooheon opened the bedroom door to let Hoseok back in with a tray of food.

“How are you feeling, Changkyun- _ah_?” the Alpha asked, as he set the tray down on the bed over Changkyun’s legs.  He could smell the seaweed soup in the bowl, and there was a cup of some type of herbal tea as well as a bottle of water and a small bowl of rice.

“I just want to sleep,” Changkyun replied, as Jooheon settled in next to him and put an arm around his shoulders to support at least some of Changkyun’s weight.

“We’ll get some rest as soon as you’ve eaten,” Jooheon replied.  Changkyun nodded as the elder Omega filled a spoon with soup, lifting it to Changkyun’s lips for him.  The soup was somehow the perfect temperature, and it was delicious despite the fact that Changkyun knew he would likely get sick from it within a short period of time.  They stayed that way for quite a while, with Jooheon feeding Changkyun like he was a small child while Hoseok watched with a soft smile on his face.  There were a couple of comments exchanged between the three of them, but Changkyun was too tired to really pay too much attention to what was going on and by the time he’d finished most of the soup Changkyun was struggling to keep his eyes open.

“I think that’s enough, Jooheon- _ah_ ,” Hoseok commented, taking the bottle of water off the tray and setting it on the nightstand next to the bed.  “We’ll let you sleep now, Changkyun- _ah_.  Jooheon- _ah_ will be here with you tonight, so just let him know if you need anything.”  Changkyun nodded, letting his eyes close as he settled in against the older Omega to drift off to sleep.


	7. Fever

Changkyun woke up to the sensation of someone running a hand through his hair, surprised to see Kihyun standing next to him with an empty set of IV bags.  “I didn’t mean to wake you… how are you feeling?” the Beta asked.

“Okay right now,” Changkyun replied, thankful that his stomach seemed to have settled after the bowl of soup rather than getting worse.  It was the first time since he’d gotten back to the apartment that he _hadn’t_ been nauseated, and Changkyun was finally starting to feel at least a little human again.  “What time is it?” he asked.

“About two in the morning.  I was just changing out your meds and wanted to see if you were still feeling sick or if you needed anything,” Kihyun replied.  “Go back to sleep now, okay?  Jooheon- _ah_ ’s still here with you if you need anything.”  Changkyun nodded, closing his eyes and letting himself drift off to sleep again.

“… going to stay home with him today.  Jooheon- _ah_ said that he was okay overnight, but he feels a little warm this morning.”  Kihyun’s voice was soft, but Changkyun could still hear the Beta talking from the other side of the room.

“I’ll get Hoseok- _ah_ to help him downstairs before he leaves, if you want,” Hyunwoo replied.

“I can handle the IV myself.  As long as Changkyun- _ssi_ can walk downstairs on his own, we’ll be okay.”  Changkyun opened his eyes, turning so that he could see the two older men.  “Changkyun- _ah_ … how are you feeling this morning?”  The Alpha moved closer as he spoke, sitting down on the end of the bed by Changkyun’s feet.

“I’m okay,” Changkyun replied, despite the fact that his stomach was a little upset again.

“Is it okay with you if Kihyun- _ah_ checks your temperature before we go downstairs?  He said you felt like you might be running a fever again, and I want to make sure I don’t need to take you back to the hospital before I go into the office.”  Hyunwoo didn’t move closer as he spoke, but Changkyun could tell that the Alpha wanted to make some kind of physical contact with him.

Changkyun nodded at the question; he knew that it would just be easier to comply with the request, and he really didn’t have any reason to refuse other than not wanting the members of the pack to pity him.  “I’ll get the thermometer.  Do you want anything else, while I’m downstairs?”

“I’m okay,” Changkyun replied again, watching as the Beta nodded and left him alone with Hyunwoo.

The Alpha sighed once Kihyun was gone.  “Changkyun- _ah_ … you don’t have to keep it to yourself if you aren’t feeling well,” Hyunwoo finally commented, moving a hand to set it on Changkyun’s foot.  “You won’t be in trouble for being sick, okay?  But we need to know how you’re feeling, so that we can stay on top of it if you start really getting sick… you understand that, right?”  Changkyun nodded, letting his eyes close.  “How are you really feeling right now?”

“I’m tired,” Changkyun replied.  “I might be running a fever, but I’m not sure…”

“What about your stomach?”

“It’s a little upset.  Not as bad as last night.”  

Changkyun watched as the Alpha nodded, smiling at him.  “Okay.  I’m going to wait until we see what your temperature is before I decide about taking you back into the hospital,” Hyunwoo replied.  

“Do you think they’d keep me again?”

“I don’t know,” Hyunwoo replied, shaking his head.  “It will depend on how you’re doing, and what they think you need to make sure you start to get better.  But you won’t have to be alone, if they do decide to keep you in the hospital for a day or two - someone in the pack will stay with you the whole time, if you want us to be there.”

Changkyun nodded as Kihyun came back into the room with the thermometer, thankful when he saw that it was the version that would go in his ear.  The Beta sat down next to Changkyun on the bed, turning on the device and sticking it in Changkyun’s ear.  “What do you want to eat for breakfast, Changkyun- _ah_?”

“I’m not really hungry…” Changkyun replied.

“He said that his stomach is upset again,” Hyunwoo added.

“We’ll try some rice, then,” Kihyun replied, as the thermometer beeped to indicate that it was done.  The Beta was quick to check the number, before turning the device so that Hyunwoo could read the number as well.  “It’s a little higher than I’d like, but I don’t think Changkyun- _ah_ ’s in any danger.  I’ll keep an eye on his temperature today and let you know if he seems to be getting worse, _hyung_.”

“Thank you, Kihyun- _ah_.  Get some rest and relax, Changkyun- _ah_.  And make sure that you tell Kihyun- _ah_ if you start feeling worse.”  Changkyun nodded, closing his eyes again as Kihyun stroked through his hair with his free hand.

“I’m going to make you some of the tea we got for Minhyuk’s morning sickness, to see if it’ll help settle your stomach.  After that, we’ll try something to actually eat, okay?”

“Okay,” Changkyun replied, not bothering to open his eyes again.  He didn’t want to fight Kihyun; logically, Changkyun knew that Kihyun had his best interests in mind.  And even though he didn’t _feel_ like eating, Changkyun knew that he needed the calories if he was going to stay healthy.

“Do you want to go ahead downstairs, or would you rather stay in bed for a bit longer?” Hyunwoo asked, as Kihyun got up to head down to the kitchen.

“I think I want to stay here a little longer…” Changkyun replied.  “I’m still kind of tired.  And this is the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in.”  

Changkyun could hear the Alpha chuckling at his response, before the man ran a hand through his hair again.  “Take it easy, pup… and let Kihyun- _ah_ know if you start feeling worse, or if you need anything that you can’t do for yourself, okay?”  Changkyun nodded without opening his eyes, smiling slightly as he felt the man stroking his cheek softly before he left the room to go to work.

Waking up again was a little confusing for Changkyun, given the fact that he wasn’t aware he’d actually fallen asleep again until he realized that Kihyun was there, stroking his hair as Kihyun read something on his cell phone.  “What are you reading?” Changkyun asked softly.

“It’s a news article about the raid on the Training Center you came from,” Kihyun replied.  “I know that Hyunwoo- _hyung_ said he didn’t finish interviewing you the other day, but I guess he had enough information for the police to get a search warrant.”

“What’s going to happen to the other Omegas that were in the Training Center?” Changkyun asked.

“There are other facilities for Omegas besides the Training Centers.  Shelters for the adults, and group homes for the minors.  And they aren’t as horrible as you were probably told they would be when you were in the Center,” Kihyun replied.  Changkyun nodded, watching as the man turned off his phone screen.  “The tea I made is still warm… you should try to drink it, and see if it will help settle your stomach.  It’s worked for Minhyuk- _hyung_.”

Changkyun nodded, doing his best to move himself so that he was sitting up as Kihyun got the cup of tea from the bedside table.  It smelled a little odd, but Changkyun took a sip anyway.  Thankfully, the tea tasted better than it smelled and Changkyun found it fairly easy to drink at least the first few sips.  But his stomach was still not happy with him, and he was less than halfway through before his stomach began revolting again. 

“You okay?”  Changkyun shook his head, closing his eyes as he tried to keep the tea down.  “Do you need the bowl?”  Changkyun nodded slowly, thankful when Kihyun placed it in his lap for Changkyun to hold onto, taking the mug of tea so that he wouldn’t spill it.  

Kihyun gently rubbed Changkyun’s back as he waited for his stomach to decide whether or not he was going to actually be sick or not.  His stomach did eventually begin to settle without Changkyun having to actually throw up, which was a relief.  He opened his eyes, leaning back against the headboard and taking a couple of moments to breathe and make sure that it wasn’t just a momentary reprieve before he passed the bowl back to Kihyun.  “I think I’m okay now.”

“At least you didn’t puke this time,” Kihyun replied with a smile, putting the bowl back on the bedside table.  “Do you want to try some more of the tea?”

Changkyun nodded.  “Yeah, I think so,” he replied, taking the cup from the Beta with a slight smile on his face.  “I think it’s really helping… I still don’t feel great, but the nausea isn’t as bad now.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to eat something, or do you want to wait a few more minutes and go downstairs?”

“I can come downstairs to eat,” Changkyun replied.  “I don’t want to be a burden to anyone…”

“ _Yah_ … you’re not a burden at all, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Kihyun protested, rubbing Changkyun’s back again.  “You’re an Omega, and we’re all your _hyungs_. It’s only natural that we want to take care of you.”  The Beta’s words were comforting, although Changkyun wasn’t sure that he fully understood what Kihyun was talking about.  But Kihyun seemed to sense that he wasn’t really sure about the explanation, as he continued.  “You really didn’t have much of an education, did you?”

“We had teachers at the children’s home, but they didn’t stick around for long… as long as we could all read and do basic math, they weren’t really all that concerned.  No one expected us to actually pass the exams or anything like that…” Changkyun replied.

“What did they teach you, besides reading and basic math?” Kihyun asked.

Changkyun shrugged.  “Not a lot… I tried my best to learn as much as I could, but there was only so much I could do.  And then I presented as an Omega.  There wasn’t anything at the Training Center to read, other than the rules.  We weren’t supposed to be worried about doing anything other than learning to please an Alpha…”

Kihyun nodded slowly.  “Do you want to learn, Changkyun- _ah_?  If we could get you a tutor, or get you into some kind of educational program so that you can go to college, is that something you would be interested in?”

“I can’t ask you to do that for me… it’s too expensive…” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.

“Money isn’t something you really need to worry about… Hyunwoo- _hyung_ is a smart man, and he’s made wise investments,” Kihyun replied.

“But my education isn’t his problem…” Changkyun began.

Kihyun smiled, shaking his head.  “We’ll talk about it with Hyunwoo- _hyung_ when you’re feeling better, okay?  But I promise you, it won’t be a problem if that’s something you want to pursue.”

Changkyun nodded, drinking a bit more of his tea as Kihyun continued to play with his hair and cuddle with him.  It was comforting, and Changkyun found himself not wanting to move as Minhyuk knocked on the door.  “ _Yah_ … it’s no fair that you’re getting to cuddle the _maknae_ all on your own…”  Changkyun couldn’t help smiling slightly at the older Omega’s pouty whine, as Kihyun shook his head with a soft chuckle.

“Get over here, then… there’s plenty of room in the bed for you to join us,” Kihyun replied.  Minhyuk was there a moment later, cuddling up on Changkyun’s other side.  “You okay this morning, _hyung_?”

“I feel fine… I ate something already, and took my vitamins and all that,” Minhyuk replied, as he began running his fingers through Changkyun’s hair.  “What about you, Changkyun- _ah_?  I see Kihyun- _ah_ made you some of the ginger tea I’ve been drinking for my morning sickness…”

“It’s helping,” Changkyun replied, as he took another sip.  “My stomach still isn’t feeling great, but I’ve managed to keep the tea down so far, and I’m going to try some food in a little while.”

“He’s doing really well,” Kihyun added.  “Why don’t you stay with him while I go make him some breakfast?  He should be fine, but come get me if he starts to get sick… Hyunwoo- _hyung_ is going to take him to the hospital if the nausea doesn’t stop or his fever goes up, and he wanted me to keep an eye on everything while he’s at work.”

“Don’t worry… I’ve got it.”

 


	8. Make It Stop

Changkyun shivered as Kihyun placed a hand on his forehead, closing his eyes as he held the thermometer in his ear.  He’d felt alright most of the morning, but as they got closer to lunch time Changkyun was starting to feel sick to his stomach again.  As soon as he’d mentioned feeling less than great to Kihyun, the Beta had insisted on checking Changkyun’s temperature to make sure that he wasn’t starting to get worse.

“ _Aish_ … you’re burning up, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Kihyun commented, as he took the thermometer out of the Omega’s ear and looked at the screen.  “I’m going to get you some medication for your fever and some more of that ginger tea before I call Hyunwoo- _hyung_ to figure out what we’re going to do next…”

“So I’m going back to the hospital?” Changkyun asked, letting the Beta tuck a blanket around his body.

“I don’t know… maybe.  It’s not good that you’re getting worse, despite the medication you’re already on…” Kihyun replied.  “Try to rest, okay?  I’ll be back in a few minutes, and then we’ll call Hyunwoo- _hyung_ while you drink your tea.”

Changkyun nodded, closing his eyes as he felt the older man get off the couch and leave the room.  He knew that it was only a matter of time before he would have to be awake and dealing with the situation at hand.  He was only alone for a little while, before he felt a hand brushing the hair out of his face.  “Changkyun- _ah_ , open your eyes for me…”. Hyunwoo’s voice was soft, and it took Changkyun a moment to register that the Alpha was speaking to him.

“Hyunwoo- _ssi_?” Changkyun asked, confused as he opened his eyes to look at the older man.

“Hey… I came home early, and Kihyun- _ah_ told me you were starting to feel bad again,” the Alpha replied.  “He’s making some more ginger tea for you now, but I have the medication for your fever…”

“I can’t…” Changkyun began, shaking his head.  The thought of putting anything into his stomach at that moment was definitely not appealing.

“You have to take something to bring your fever down, pup… Kihyun- _ah_ told me that it was really high a few minutes ago,” Hyunwoo replied.  “I don’t have any other way to bring your fever down right now, and I’m not going to have a choice about taking you to the hospital again if your fever doesn’t begin to come down soon…”

Changkyun nodded slowly, as Hyunwoo opened the packet of pills and popped two of them out into Changkyun’s hand.  The Alpha held a glass of water up to Changkyun’s lips so that he could take a sip before popping the pills into his mouth to swallow them down.  “That’s good, pup… do you think you can drink a little more water?”  Changkyun nodded slowly, before letting the Alpha lift his head slightly so that Changkyun could drink from the glass of water again.  “Good… try and get some more rest for now.  Once the medicine has had some time to kick in, we’ll decide whether or not I need to take you back to the hospital…”

The Alpha was warm, and Changkyun found himself falling asleep easily against Hyunwoo’s chest as the man stroked a hand through his hair.  It wasn’t until Changkyun felt someone lifting him from the couch that he woke up again, confused by what was going on until he realized that Hyunwoo had Changkyun carefully cradled against his chest.  “Hyunwoo- _ssi_?” he questioned, looking up at the man in confusion.

“We’re heading back to the hospital, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” the Alpha replied, stopping to adjust Changkyun’s position slightly so that they were both more comfortable.  “Your fever is still really high, so we’re going to make sure nothing more serious is going on.  Just try to relax and get some more rest, okay?  Everything is going to be fine…”

Given how exhausted he felt, it wasn’t difficult for Changkyun to fall asleep again in Hyunwoo’s arms as the Alpha carried him out of the apartment.  Everything was hazy and unclear until they finally arrived at the hospital, where Changkyun was almost immediately taken back into an exam room, although Changkyun wasn’t fully aware of what was going on until he was being examined by the ER doctor.  “When did his symptoms start to get worse?” the doctor asked, checking the pulse in Changkyun’s wrist as he spoke to Hyunwoo softly.

“The nausea started early yesterday, before he was released.  But the fever came this morning, and it’s gotten progressively worse throughout the day,” Hyunwoo replied.  “We gave him something for the fever a little over an hour ago, and it came down some.  But it’s still higher than we felt comfortable with given the situation…”

“You said he recently left an Omega Training Facility… was he on suppressants there?”  It felt strange having the two Alphas talking about him almost as if he wasn’t even there, but Changkyun was too tired to fully register that he had the option to speak up and answer the doctor’s questions himself.  Instead, he let his eyes close as he listened to their conversation.

“Three full years,” Hyunwoo replied.  “He hasn’t been given any since I brought him home almost a week ago… do you think he’s going into heat?”

“I doubt it… typically, an Omega’s body will delay a heat if the Omega isn’t perfectly healthy,” the doctor replied.  “His body won’t be able to handle the stress of a heat until he’s recovered from this skin infection.  If the fever isn’t caused by the infection itself, it’s likely a case of his body adjusting to not having the artificial hormones from the heat suppressants.  It’s not a common reaction, but some Omegas experience severe withdrawal symptoms if they are particularly sensitive…”

There was a brief moment of silence, before Hyunwoo spoke up again.  “Is this dangerous?”

“Without proper treatment, it can be,” the doctor replied.  “You definitely did the right thing bringing him in this evening… I want to admit him to the hospital again, so that we can provide the level of medical support he needs to get through this safely.”

Hyunwoo sighed audibly.  “Right… okay,” the Alpha replied.  “What are we talking about here?  What do we need to be prepared for?”

“Our main concern is going to be his fever… I think it would be a good idea to replace his IV with a central line, due to the volume of medication and fluids he may need over the next few days.  We need to get plenty of fluids into his system to make up for what he’s losing from his fever, as well as what he needs to safely take the antibiotics that have already been prescribed, and a central line can handle a much larger volume than a standard IV…”

“I can’t authorize anything on his behalf… he’s legally an adult, but he isn’t part of my pack…” Hyunwoo began.

“I understand… we’ll try to bring his fever down enough for Changkyun- _ssi_ to be coherent, so that he can choose if he will consent to the procedure,” the doctor replied.  “I’m also going to put him back on a low dose of the suppressants temporarily, in the hopes that it will stop the symptoms so that we can gradually wean him off and hopefully avoid any further reactions.”

Changkyun felt Hyunwoo stroking a hand through his hair.  “And that will help?” the Alpha asked.

“If my assumption is correct, it should.  Once he’s stabilized, we’ll start weaning him off the medication immediately because long-term use isn’t recommended.”

“I’ll do whatever I can to help… my number one concern right now is making sure that Changkyun- _ah_ gets the medical care he needs,” Hyunwoo replied.

“Right… I need to go find a bed for him upstairs now, but I’ll go ahead and get those prescriptions in to the pharmacy so that we can hopefully get things started moving in the right direction as quickly as possible.”

There was a moment of silence, before Changkyun felt the bed shift under Hyunwoo’s weight as the Alpha adjusted his positioning so that Changkyun was leaning back against the Alpha’s chest.  “ _Yah_ … how did we let you get so sick, Changkyun- _ah_?  I wish that we’d known you would react like this to coming off the suppressants, so that we could have stopped this from happening…”

“’S not your fault…” Changkyun replied, not bothering to open his eyes.

“You’re awake?” the Alpha asked, hand stilling as it stroked through Changkyun’s hair.  Changkyun hummed in response, not opening his eyes or moving away from the Alpha’s embrace.  “Were you awake when the doctor was here?”

“Woke me up…” Changkyun replied softly.

“Did you hear what he said about starting a central line?”  Changkyun nodded in response to the man’s question.  “What do you think?”

“Will it make it stop?” Changkyun asked.

“I don’t know… but your doctor really thinks it will help you.”

Changkyun nodded, shifting slightly so that he was more comfortable.  “I just want to feel better…”

“What about the suppressants?” Hyunwoo asked softly.

“I’ll try it,” Changkyun replied, curling into the older man’s side so that his head was resting against the Alpha’s chest.  “Thank you, Hyunwoo- _ssi_ …”

“You don’t have to thank me… any decent person would do the same.  And you deserve to be taken care of properly.”  The Alpha began stroking Changkyun’s hair again, before the Omega felt his lips pressing a soft kiss against the top of Changkyun’s head.  “Once they have you settled in upstairs, I can call back if you want anything, or if there’s anyone specific you want to stay with you tonight…”

“I just don’t want to be alone…” Changkyun replied softly, before allowing himself to give in to the desire to fall asleep again.

 


	9. Field Trip

Changkyun was honestly surprised by just how seriously Hyunwoo had taken his request to not be left alone.  It was actually nice; every time Changkyun woke up, someone was cuddling with him or otherwise doing their best to make sure he was comfortable and happy.  It was strange, but also really nice to have people care about him in any capacity.

The medication definitely seemed to be helping, although Changkyun was less than happy with the PICC line in his arm.  The tube snaking out of his arm made him nervous, and he’d nearly gotten sick watching as one of the nurses had cleaned the area the morning after it had been inserted.  But his fever had broken shortly after he’d been put back on the heat suppressants, and although the nausea was still present it was significantly less intense than it had been perviously.

“Changkyun- _ah_ … your nurse said that we can go for a walk if you’re feeling up for it,” Minhyuk commented, bouncing slightly on the side of the bed.  It had been a couple of days since Changkyun had been admitted, and he was definitely starting to get antsy to see something other than the walls of the ward he’d been assigned to.  Given the fact that Minhyuk had clearly spoken to his nurse on his way in to take over so that Hyungwon could go to his afternoon class, Changkyun was determined to take advantage of the opening and get as far away from the small room as possible.

“Can we go outside?” Changkyun asked, sitting up and slipping his feet into the hospital slippers as Minhyuk unplugged the IV pump for him.

“There’s a rooftop garden on the fifth floor… the nurse suggested it as a good place to get some sun and fresh air,” the other Omega explained, before pushing the IV pole so that it was within reach of Changkyun’s left hand and then going around him so that they could link arms.  Changkyun had a feeling that it was more for his benefit than anything else.  “There’s also a little cafe up there, if you want something to eat…”

Changkyun smiled slightly at the comment.  “Do you want something to eat?” he asked, as the elder Omega began guiding him out of the hospital room and down the hall.

“I _am_ a little peckish…” Minhyuk began.  Changkyun shook his head.  “Okay, so I mentioned it because I’m hungry.  But in my defense, I’m having pups and I need more calories than normal…”

“Then let’s go to the cafe first… I’m not hungry, but I think I want something to drink,” Changkyun replied.

The elevator ride and walk to the cafe was surprisingly short, but Changkyun still found himself being escorted to a seat before Minhyuk got in line, despite his protests that he was fine to wait in line as well.  Minhyuk simply shook his head and promised to be right back, before hurrying away to place their order and pay.

The shop was small and cozy, and Changkyun found himself curling up in the chair Minhyuk had chosen for him as he waited for the elder Omega to finish ordering and join him.  He pulled his legs up into the seat as he waited, curling in on himself slightly as he realized that there were other people paying attention to him, even though he was far from the only patient sitting in the area.  Thankfully, Minhyuk joined him again before anyone could approach.

“Everything okay?” Minhyuk asked, passing Changkyun a small iced coffee as he sat down in the other chair.  

“People are staring…” Changkyun replied softly, immediately taking an extreme interest in fixing the straw in his cup and beginning to drink without looking up at the people around them.

“You’re uncomfortable with the attention,” Minhyuk replied, more of a statement than an actual question.  Changkyun nodded in confirmation.  “But you aren’t uncomfortable when _we_ pay attention to you, are you?”

“It’s different,” Changkyun replied softly.  “You all aren’t strangers… I know you.  And none of you stare at me like I’m a piece of meat waiting to be devoured…”

Changkyun felt Minhyuk reach out and take his hand, squeezing it gently.  “It’s hard to ignore sometimes, but it won’t always be like this,” Minhyuk replied.  “Alphas are going to pay attention to you because you’re an unmated Omega.  Good Alphas will want to protect you, and asshole Alphas will want to take advantage of the fact that you don’t have a pack.  But just remember that you don’t have to engage with them if you don’t want to… you’re a person, too, and you have rights.”

Changkyun nodded, sipping on his drink as they waited in a comfortable silence for Minhyuk’s food.  It was nice just holding the elder’s hand, letting Minhyuk gently stroke the back of his hand with one of his thumbs as they drank their coffee.

“Do you want any?” Minhyuk asked, holding out a chip once his food had been delivered by a kind barista.

“I just had lunch before you got here,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.  “Did you not eat?”

“Didn’t have time after my doctor’s appointment,” Minhyuk commented.  “I didn’t want Hyungwon to have to leave you alone and feel guilty about it…”

“Why would he feel guilty?” Changkyun asked, raising an eyebrow at the idea.

“We don’t want you to feel like you’re being abandoned… and we all agreed that we weren’t going to let you be alone when Hyunwoo told us that was the only thing you wanted when you were first admitted,” Minhyuk replied.  “None of us can understand what your life has been like, Changkyun- _ah_ … but we all care about you and want to support you in whatever way we can.  So unless you tell us otherwise, someone is going to be here the whole time you’re in the hospital.”

Changkyun couldn’t help feeling a little guilty at Minhyuk’s explanation.  “You don’t have to do that for me…”

“We _want_ to, though,” Minhyuk replied, taking Changkyun’s hand and squeezing it again.  “I didn’t tell you that because I wanted you to feel guilty, Changkyun- _ah_.  I told you that so that you would understand that we care about you, probably more than you’ve realized.”

Changkyun nodded, sipping on his coffee again as Minhyuk ate.  He wasn’t really sure how he felt about the idea of the pack basically adopting him, even though he hadn’t asked about joining the pack yet.  It was strange, to have so many people who _wanted_ to have him around when Changkyun was so used to everyone around him just wanting something _from_ him, or wishing that they didn’t have to deal with him.

It wasn’t until Minhyuk was almost finished eating that the elder Omega seemed to realize that something was off.  “Hey… did I say something?” Minhyuk asked softly, leaning in closer and squeezing Changkyun’s hand again.  “I’m really sorry, Changkyun- _ah_ … I’m not good at comforting people.  But it’s true.  We really care about you, and we all want you to stick around even after you’re well again.”

“I don’t want to burden anyone…” Changkyun commented.

“It isn’t a burden if we _want_ to spend time with you,” Minhyuk replied.  “I’ll admit, it takes some planning to make sure that someone is always here with you without anyone missing out on the commitments they’ve already made.  But it’s worth it, because we know that it’s going to be good for all of us in the long run… even if you don’t end up choosing to join our pack, we want you to be happy and to know how you deserve to be treated when you find the pack you want to join.”

Changkyun nodded, sipping down the last of his drink and setting the plastic cup on the table.  “We’re still going to go outside, right, Minhyuk- _ssi_?” Changkyun asked, hoping to distract Minhyuk from the conversation they had been having.

“You _really_ need to start calling all of us _hyung_ , you know… I’m pretty sure we’re past the point where you should have to be that formal all the time, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Minhyuk replied.  “But yes, we’re still going to go outside.  Just give me a minute to clean up, and then we’ll go.”

Changkyun nodded, letting go of the older man’s hand and smiling as Minhyuk bussed their table quickly before returning to his side.  “I do have a secret…” Minhyuk began, smirking as he took Changkyun’s arm again once the younger had gotten up out of his seat and grabbed the IV pole to wheel it along with them.  “I texted Hyunwoo- _hyung_ already, but no one else knows yet and I don’t think I can keep it in for much longer…”

“What is it?” Changkyun asked, curiosity piqued by the way Minhyuk was talking about it.  The elder Omega was guiding him down a hallway away from the cafe, but he was more interested in their conversation than where they were going.  Changkyun trusted Minhyuk, so he wasn’t all that concerned about where they were headed.

“Three pups,” Minhyuk replied, placing a hand on the slight swell of his belly.  “It’s not all that common to have more than two at a time…”

Changkyun couldn’t help smiling at the other Omega’s good news.  While he wasn’t sure about the details surrounding having pups, Changkyun knew from the conversations he’d heard or been involved in that the pack wanted to have a large number of pups.  “That’s wonderful, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied.  “I know that everyone is going to be so happy for you when they find out.”

“I didn’t think I could be this happy… our pack is growing so much…” Minhyuk commented, squeezing his hand.  “I know that it’s still too soon for you to make any kind of decision about joining the pack, but I do hope that you’ll at least think about it.  You seem to fit in so well with the rest of us, and we all really like you…”

“I want to stay,” Changkyun replied, as Minhyuk led him towards a set of double doors that would take them to the rooftop garden Minhyuk had mentioned earlier.  “I’m not sure about joining the pack yet, but I feel safe with you… and that isn’t something I’ve ever really felt before…”

Changkyun was surprised when Minhyuk stopped just outside the door, turning to him and pulling him into a tight hug without warning.  “I’m so sorry, Changkyun- _ah_ … I’m sorry that you’ve been through so much, and that we weren’t able to find you and help you sooner…”

“It’s okay,” Changkyun replied, relaxing into the hug and leaning into Minhyuk’s warmth.  “None of you knew who I was or what was happening to me… you can’t be expected to do something when you don’t know what’s going on.”

“I’m sorry,” Minhyuk replied, shaking his head as he moved back slightly.  Changkyun could see tears in the elder Omega’s eyes.  “Being pregnant makes me really emotional… and I can’t help but worry about you and how you’re doing…”

“You can always just ask, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, as Minhyuk finally let go of him and they moved towards an empty bench near the railing that looked out over the city.

The rooftop garden was peaceful, and Changkyun found himself relaxing into Minhyuk’s side and starting to fall asleep with his head on the elder’s shoulder.  He was still struggling with staying awake, given how hard his body had been working to fight off the infection and and deal with all of the other symptoms he’d been fighting against since he’d first gotten sick.  It wasn’t until he felt himself being lifted by a pair of strong arms and his nose was filled with the scent of Hyunwoo that Changkyun woke up.

“I can walk…” Changkyun replied, opening his eyes and lifting his head.  

The Alpha chuckled slightly at his response to waking up, before gently setting Changkyun on his feet while still keeping an arm securely around his waist.  “I was trying not to wake you… you looked like you were sleeping so peacefully…”

“I don’t need to sleep so much…” Changkyun replied, shaking his head as they began to make their way towards the doors that would take them back into the building itself.

“ _Yah_ … do what your body tells you to do, Changkyun- _ah_.  You’re only going to get better if you take proper care of yourself, and you can’t do that if you aren’t listening to the cues your body is giving you,” Hyunwoo replied.  Changkyun nodded slowly as the man guided him back towards the elevators, not realizing that they were alone until they were inside the elevator.  “Where did Minhyuk- _hyung_ go?”

“He needed the bathroom… you were sleeping on him for quite a while,” Hyunwoo replied.  “He’s going to come back to your room when he’s done, so that we can all hang out for a little while and talk…”  Changkyun stopped at the man’s words, suddenly terrified that something bad was going to happen based on his words.  Thankfully, Hyunwoo seemed to immediately realize what was going on and the man shook his head.  “No, no… it’s not anything bad, Changkyun- _ah_.  I spoke with your doctor earlier about when you might be released, and we need to discuss what you feel comfortable with before a final decision is made.”

Changkyun relaxed, nodding at the man’s explanation and letting Hyunwoo continue to guide him back towards his hospital room.  “What are the options?” Changkyun asked, although he wasn’t sure what actually being released would entail.

“Lets wait until we get back to your room before we talk about it, okay?  You look tired, and I don’t want you to overdo things,” the Alpha replied, pressing a soft kiss against his temple.


	10. Release

Changkyun watched in silence as the nurse disconnected the IV pump from the line in his arm, before pulling some kind of fabric sleeve over his arm so that the tubing was held closely against his skin and he wouldn’t accidentally get it caught on anything when he got dressed.  “Right… I’ll give you a few minutes to change into your own clothes, and then we’ll finish the paperwork and get you home,” the woman replied, smiling at him.

“Thank you,” Changkyun replied, as the nurse left him alone.  Hoseok had gone back to the pack’s apartment to get one of the vehicles so that Changkyun wouldn’t have to navigate public transportation when he’d only just gotten out of the hospital, and no one else had been able to make it to the hospital before the Alpha had needed to leave.

Getting changed didn’t take Changkyun long, given the fact that Hyunwoo had brought in a change of clothes for him that morning in case he was actually released.  There wasn’t much for Changkyun to do once he was dressed in the sweatpants, tee shirt, and hoodie the Alpha had gotten together for him, and he found himself starting to drift to sleep again.

“Changkyun- _ah_ … it’s time to wake up,” a voice softly called, as a hand stroked through his hair.  He blinked a few times, looking up at a smiling Jooheon.  “Hoseok- _hyung_ and I are here to take you home…”

“I’m tired…” Changkyun replied, even as Jooheon helped him sit up in the hospital bed.

“We’ll go home, and you can take another nap.”  Changkyun nodded at Hoseok’s response as Jooheon silently guided him into the wheelchair that the nurse had brought into the room for him to be officially discharged from the hospital.

“You all have the new dosing schedule for his medication, and all of the discharge paperwork, correct?” the nurse asked, once Changkyun was comfortably situated in the oversized wheelchair.

“It’s all in the bag,” Hoseok assured the woman, smiling as he held up a backpack Changkyun didn’t recognize.  “I think we all have his doctor’s office phone number at this point as well, if we have any questions.”

“Perfect.  Then it looks like everything is done here, and all we have to do is walk down to the nurse’s station for Changkyun- _ssi_ to officially sign himself out.  If you’d like to go ahead and get the car pulled around, we can meet you at the entrance downstairs in a few minutes.”

Getting through the whole process of signing himself out of the hospital didn’t take long, and soon enough Changkyun found himself cuddled with Jooheon in the back seat of the same car that had taken him away from the Training Center less than two weeks earlier.  “I’m really glad you’re getting to come home today… I was seriously starting to worry about whether or not they were going to let you out of there before you came off the IV antibiotics…”

“It’s the heat suppressants that I’m more worried about,” Changkyun admitted.  “I’m supposed to come off them slowly this time, but I’m worried that it’s going to just turn into a big mess again…”

“That’s why Hyunwoo- _hyung_ has been in contact with a home health nurse about coming to help us keep up with everything,” Jooheon replied.  Changkyun sat up, turning to look at the elder Omega in surprise.  “It isn’t a big deal… _hyung_ just thought that it would be better if we had a little bit of extra help with keeping track of your meds and caring for the PICC line this time around.  The nurse is just going to come in a couple of times a day to make sure you’re doing okay and to keep up with weaning you off the suppressant medication properly… we’ll still be the main ones helping you with the IVs and stuff like that.”

“I could have stayed in the hospital…” Changkyun began.

“Changkyun- _ah_ … you’ll feel better a lot faster if you’re at the apartment, where you can relax and be more comfortable,” Hoseok replied.  “The nurse is only going to be around to make sure that we’re doing things properly, so that you don’t end up that sick again… we all agreed that we’d rather bring you back to the apartment and figure out part-time private care rather than forcing you to stay in the hospital just because it’s easier for us to let someone else take care of you…”

“Not to mention the fact that it’s really not fair to ask you to stay in the hospital when you really aren’t _that_ sick… you don’t really _need_ to be hospitalized for this unless you start to have problems again, according to your doctor,” Jooheon added.  “At least this gives you a chance to be comfortable and be surrounded by people who care about you, instead of us having to pick and choose who can come hang out because of the hospital’s rules.”

“Kihyun- _ah_ will feed you better than the hospital, anyway.”

Changkyun couldn’t help smiling at their explanation for why it was so much better for him to be back at the apartment rather than in the hospital.  “So it’s also partially because you all miss me, then?” he asked, smirking slightly at the thought.

“I guess that is technically part of it…” Jooheon replied.

The rest of the ride back to the apartment was pretty quiet, and Changkyun found himself beginning to fall asleep again as they pulled up to the building.  “Is he out?” Hoseok asked softly.

“Not quite,” Changkyun replied, before Jooheon could respond.  “But I do want to go upstairs and sleep now… I’m really tired…”

“I’ll walk you upstairs while Hoseok- _hyung_ parks the car, then,” Jooheon replied as they pulled up in front of the building.  Jooheon was quick to help him out of the vehicle, throwing the backpack on his own back and putting an arm around Changkyun’s waist so that he couldn’t get too far away.  “Do you want to go up to your room, or do you think you want to try and hang out for a little while?”

“I think I should just try to take a nap or something… I’m really tired, and I don’t know that I’m going to be able to stay awake for very long once I get the chance to sit down again…”

“Then we’ll go to your room… I’ll make sure no one bugs you other than for your meds, so that you can get some rest,” Jooheon replied, as they made their way into the elevator.  “Is there anything you want before you go to sleep?  Maybe something to eat?”

Changkyun shook his head.  “No… I’m okay,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.  “I’m still really not hungry most of the time… although I should probably drink some water…”

“Probably a good idea… although at least you aren’t still running a fever and getting even more dehydrated,” Jooheon replied.  The elder man rubbed his back in small circles as they made their way up into the building, not leaving Changkyun’s side until the elevator doors opened they were inside the apartment.  “Why don’t you go ahead upstairs?  I’ll bring up some water, and then you’ll be able to sleep for a while…”

“ _Yah_ … you weren’t even going to tell the rest of us that you brought the _maknae_ home?” Minhyuk asked, appearing from the kitchen.

“He’s tired, _hyung_ … just let him go sleep for a while, and you can turn into a koala on him later,” Jooheon replied, gently pushing Changkyun to go up to his room.  “Go sleep, kid.  I won’t let Minhyuk- _hyung_ keep you up…”

“It’s okay if you want to cuddle, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, turning to the eldest Omega.  “Just… I really just want to sleep.”

Minhyuk nodded in response to Changkyun’s request, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.  “I can do that… I just don’t want Jooheon- _ah_ to hog all of the time we can spend cuddling with you for himself.”

Changkyun smiled as Minhyuk guided him up to his bedroom, tucking him into the bed and playing with his hair as they waited for Jooheon to come up with his water.  “How are you feeling, anyway?  Any nausea or anything?” Minhyuk asked.  Changkyun shook his head, letting his eyes close even though he knew that he needed to try and stay awake until he’d gotten at least a little water in his system.

“ _Yah_ … Minhyuk- _ah_ , I swear on all that is holy, if you keep him from getting his rest I will murder you.”  Changkyun forced his eyes open, surprised to hear Kihyun’s voice coming from the doorway.  The older man had a bottle of water in one hand, and all of the medication that Changkyun was supposed to be on in the other.

“I’m not going to bug him… I just want Omega cuddles.  Besides, you wouldn’t _actually_ hurt me, Kihyun- _ah_.  I’m carrying pups for the pack…” Minhyuk began.

“Just don’t screw around with him while he’s trying to sleep.”  Changkyun watched in silence as Kihyun placed all of the medication on the bedside table, before opening the bottle of water and passing it over to him so that he could drink some.  “I’m going to bring you some lunch in a little while, but since you aren’t hungry yet I’m going to let you get some sleep first.  But I do need to start your IVs up again, so that we keep the medication in your system like we’re supposed to.”  Changkyun nodded, continuing to drink the water as Kihyun worked on getting everything ready again.

Changkyun found himself falling asleep easily, even with Kihyun moving his arm around as he adjusted everything.  Minhyuk ended up taking the bottle of water out of his hand as Changkyun began to drift off to sleep again.

“He looks so peaceful when he’s asleep…” Minhyuk murmured.

“So do you… it’s the only time you ever shut your mouth long enough,” Kihyun replied.  “Seriously, though… let him sleep.  I know you want to be social and everything, but you know as well as I do that he needs his rest.”

“I will… I don’t want to make him get sick like that again,” Minhyuk commented.  “I know he’s getting better, but it was really scary when he got sick so quickly… I don’t think I could handle seeing him like that again, and the last thing I want is to be the cause of anything like that happening again…”

“We aren’t going to let that happen.  He’s doing okay right now, and we’re going to do whatever we can to keep him healthy this time,” Kihyun replied.  “Let me know if he wakes up and needs anything, okay?  He can’t really come downstairs with the IV pole on his own and you shouldn’t try to lift it.  But we can take it downstairs in a little while, if he wants to watch TV or something when he wakes up.”

“I can do that,” Minhyuk replied.  “Don’t worry, Kihyun- _ah_.  I can handle this.  Besides, I think I’m going to take a nap with him, too…”

Changkyun woke up feeling very warm and comfortable - something that he wasn’t really used to  after spending several days in the hospital.  While waking up cuddled with someone from the pack had become normal, this was the first time that it had actually happened in a comfortable bed, where Changkyun didn’t feel like he had to be worried about whether or not he was giving the other person enough space to really get some rest.

Changkyun shifted in the bed, turning so that he was facing Minhyuk a bit more as the elder Omega slept.  He couldn’t help letting his hand rest on the slight swell of Minhyuk’s belly, wondering what it would feel like to be carrying pups for his pack - or even what it would be like to have a pack that he could call his own.

“You’re awake.”  Changkyun looked over at the door, smiling as he saw Kihyun standing there with a tray of food for him.  “Feeling better?”

“Yeah… I’m still kind of tired, but it’s not that bad anymore,” Changkyun replied.

“You look kind of sad…” Kihyun began softly.

Changkyun sighed, curling into Minhyuk’s side a bit more.  “I was just wondering what it would be like, to really belong to a pack…” Changkyun replied.  “I think… I don’t know if I’m just jealous of what you all have, or if this is some kind of biological thing that I just still don’t understand…”

“It’s normal to want to belong, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Kihyun replied, setting the tray down on the bedside table and sitting down next to him, being careful to avoid the IV line.  “We can’t really understand what you’re going through here, because none of us have grown up the same way you have.  But it’s okay to wonder what it’s like, and to want to have the kind of relationship the rest of us have.”

Changkyun nodded again, moving so that he could sit up a little more without waking up Minhyuk.  “Do you think Hyunwoo- _ssi_ would let me join your pack?” Changkyun asked softly.

“Maybe one day… right now, I don’t think you have enough experience in the real world to make that kind of decision,” Kihyun replied.  “Your life before you came to us was so different from anything the rest of us have known… Jooheon- _ah_ can understand a little of what you’re going through, because he was in a different Training Center for a while.  But the rest of us have no clue what that’s like, and we don’t even really know what you don’t understand about the real world…”

“But you’re going to make me wait, even if that’s what I want?” Changkyun asked.

“We’re going to make you wait because you need to meet more people and experience more of the real world before you decide that this is where you want to spend the rest of your life,” Kihyun replied, shaking his head.  “It’s really painful to lose someone from your pack… to be rejected.  We can feel each other through the pack bond, and even if it isn’t physically painful to lose someone that way, it really does hurt emotionally when you realize that you’ve lost that connection.”

Changkyun nodded.  “So it isn’t because you don’t want another Omega?”

“That would never be the reason… we have plenty of room for you in our pack, Changkyun- _ah_.  But the last thing we would want to do is hurt you, and letting you make that kind of a decision when you just aren’t ready wouldn’t be a good idea,” Kihyun replied.  “Now, you should try and eat something.  I think you lost some weight while you were in the hospital, and you didn’t really have any that you could afford to lose when you went in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have to apologize; it's been a long week, and this chapter ended up being extremely late. I was supposed to post it on Saturday, but I was out of town at a conference and by the time I got home I was so exhausted I forgot. Add to that the fact that this week has been AWFUL at work (long story), and I totally forgot to put this up until now. But here it is! Hopefully I won't forget again to post in my other story this Saturday!


	11. Guilt

Being back at the apartment was much easier than being in the hospital, at least in Changkyun’s opinion.  Without nurses constantly waking him up for vital signs and other tests, Changkyun found himself feeling relaxed and well-rested when he woke up the next morning.  Minhyuk had been extremely clingy the previous day when Changkyun had gotten back to the apartment, so much so that he had practically begged Changkyun to cuddle with him when it was time for bed.  Changkyun had been happy to oblige, mostly because he’d gotten used to having one of the members of the pack with him pretty much constantly.  But waking up cuddled in next to the pregnant Omega was comforting, and Changkyun really didn’t want to move.

“Mmm… you’re warm,” Minhyuk mumbled, as he began to wake up, too.

“Good warm, or sick warm” Changkyun asked.”

“Good warm… like I just want to cuddle with you forever…”

Changkyun couldn’t help smiling slightly at the man’s words.  “You do realize that eventually your bladder is going to veto that idea, right?” he asked, gladly cuddling closer to the elder Omega.

Minhyuk growled at the mention of his bladder.  “And because you mentioned it, now I seriously have to pee…”  Changkyun couldn’t help chuckling slightly at Minhyuk’s comment, moving away from the elder Omega so that he could hurry off to the bathroom and take care of business.  It only took a couple of minutes, before Minhyuk was back and cuddling up to Changkyun’s side again with a smile on his face.  “We can sleep for a little while longer, right?  You aren’t going to ask me to get up and go get someone to help you go downstairs?”

“I’m okay with sleeping for a little bit longer… I don’t really want to get up yet.  It’s too comfortable in this bed with you,” Changkyun replied, letting the older man pull him close and cuddle again.

“Except both of you need to get up,” Kihyun commented from the doorway.  “You need to go take your vitamins, Minhyuk- _ah_ , and Changkyun- _ah_ needs to eat something after I change out antibiotics for him, so that he can take his other medications.”

Minhyuk groaned loudly at the Beta’s words, before burying his face in Changkyun’s neck.  “Sorry… didn’t hear a word of that.  I’m going back to sleep now, because I have a cute Omega pup to cuddle with and I never want to move from this spot again.”

“ _Yah_ … don’t even play with me, Lee Minhyuk!  Just because you’re carrying our pack’s pups doesn’t mean I won’t pick you up and haul you out of this room if you’re being a brat,” Kihyun replied, as he started working on changing out the bags of medication.  

Changkyun raised an eyebrow as Kihyun attached an unfamiliar syringe to the line.  “What is that?”

“It’s the nausea medication… the nurses in the hospital were doing it differently, but the home health nurse told me to do it this way,” Kihyun replied, before attaching the new bag of IV fluids and the antibiotics to the rest of the tube.

“I should probably shower before I go downstairs…” Changkyun began.

“You really need to eat something so that you can take your suppressants… they work best if you take them at roughly the same time each day, and we don’t want you to start going into withdrawals again,” Kihyun replied.

Changkyun nodded, as Minhyuk finally began to untangle his limbs from Changkyun’s body and start to get up.  “I just don’t want to make more work for anyone… but I feel really gross, and I don’t think I can wait all day to take a shower,” Changkyun replied.

“We’ll figure it out,” Kihyun replied, holding out his hand to help Changkyun get up once Minhyuk had finally gotten off of him.

Getting the IV pole downstairs wasn’t quite as easy for Kihyun as it had been for Hoseok perviously, but it didn’t take very long for Changkyun to be settled on the couch in the living room as Kihyun plugged the IV in again.  “I don’t feel right just sitting around all day…”

“ _Yah_ … you haven’t even been out of the hospital for 24 hours yet.  You are going to rest, and you are going to let us take care of you,” Kihyun replied.  “Besides, you aren’t allowed to lift anything until that tube comes out of your arm and I do _not_ want to have to take you back to the hospital again…”

“You could always come hang out with me and help with my project for class…” Jooheon commented, walking into the living room from the kitchen.  “I’m probably going to be in there all day working on this one…”

“ _After_ you eat breakfast, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Kihyun replied, heading towards the kitchen himself.  “Just try to relax, okay?  You don’t have to do anything for us… but what you do need to do is take some time to rest and take proper care of yourself.”

“You can always come join me when you’re finished eating,” Jooheon replied, shrugging.  “You have a pretty good ear, and I want your opinion on something I’m working on when you feel up to it.”  Changkyun nodded, shifting into a more comfortable position on the couch.  He knew that he was going to be there for a while, because Kihyun was definitely going to be making him something more complicated than Changkyun would have chosen for himself.  While Changkyun was thankful for the fact that Kihyun cared enough to make him food, he couldn’t help feeling a little annoyed at having to wait around for so long.

Changkyun didn’t realize that he’d fallen asleep on the couch until he felt someone moving him so that he was laying down on the couch and covered him with a blanket.  “He still needs to eat breakfast…”

“Let him sleep… you have him on the antibiotics, and it won’t kill him to be a little late with the heat suppressant pills.”  Changkyun recognized Hyunwoo’s voice as the man spoke and brushed the hair out of his face.  “You gave him the nausea medicine they prescribed?”

“That’s probably what made him fall asleep again,” Kihyun replied softly.  “I didn’t think about that when I was giving him the meds before I got him something for breakfast… I should have waited until after I cooked breakfast.  Or maybe I should have brought him downstairs before I did all of his medicine changes this morning…”

“It’s not a big deal, Kihyun- _ah_ ,” Hyunwoo interrupted.  “He probably won’t sleep that long, since Minhyuk- _ah_ said they slept really well last night.  I know the doctor told us that it was best for him to take the pills at the same time every day, but it took several _days_ for him to start really getting sick when he first got here.”

Changkyun forced his eyes open, turning slightly so that he was looking up at the two men.  “I’m awake,” he commented, pushing back the blanket slightly and reaching up to rub the sleep away from his eyes.  “I’ll eat…”

Hyunwoo turned towards him, smiling as he saw that Changkyun was awake.  “Hey… it’s okay, Changkyun- _ah_.  If you’re still tired, you can sleep for a little while longer…”

But Changkyun shook his head, forcing himself into a seated position.  “No… no, I’m okay.  I just need to sit up…”  The Alpha reached out to help him up, being careful of the tube in his arm.

“Go ahead and take these,” Kihyun commented, handing Changkyun the pills and a glass of water.  “There’s rice porridge for you on the table, and I brought you some tea as well.”

“Thank you, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, starting with the pills first and then picking up the cup of tea once he’d chased them all with the water.  It was still warm, and Changkyun relaxed back into the couch cushions as he drank.

“ _Yah_ … don’t forget your porridge, Changkyun- _ah_.  You need more in your stomach than just some tea if you’re going to stay healthy this time,” Kihyun commented, as Hyunwoo sat down on the couch next to him and put an arm around his shoulders.

“I’ll make sure he eats, Kihyun- _ah_.  Don’t worry so much, okay?  You’re going to end up giving yourself an ulcer…”

“I wouldn’t _have_ to worry so much if you all were better at taking care of yourselves,” Kihyun responded, shaking his head before leaving the room.

“Don’t worry about him, Changkyun- _ah_.  Sometimes I think he should have been an Omega, because he’s so good at taking care of all of us…” Hyunwoo gently massaged the back of Changkyun’s neck as he spoke.  “The problem, of course, is that he gets pretty upset any time things aren’t going according to plan… he’s getting better about it, because it’s impossible for everything to always go right when you’re trying to plan for so many people.  But he still needs to work on keeping it under control.”

Changkyun nodded, drinking a bit more of the tea before moving on to the bowl of porridge Kihyun had brought for him so that he wouldn’t risk upsetting the Beta any more.  “I don’t feel right letting other people do everything for me… I’ve been taking care of myself for so long, I feel guilty letting everyone else here take care of me,” Changkyun replied softly.

“ _Yah_ … don’t let yourself get upset about that, okay?  You’ve been really sick, and you still need time to heal and recover.  Once you’re doing better, we can sit down and talk about how it’s going to work for you to contribute to the pack, but for the moment at least it’s important for you to just take your time to make sure that you’re okay.”

“Is it still too early to talk about joining the pack?” Changkyun asked, keeping his eyes trained on the bowl in his lap instead of looking up at the pack Alpha.

“You’re still considering joining us?” Hyunwoo asked.  Changkyun nodded, glancing up to try and gauge Hyunwoo’s reaction.  “We can talk about it… but you’re definitely not ready to make that decision yet.  You haven’t even gone through your first heat yet, and you’re definitely still figuring out who you are and what you want to look for in a pack.”

“But you aren’t saying never, are you?” Changkyun asked.

“Definitely not… we all really like you, Changkyun- _ah_ , and we want you to be happy with whatever you choose to do,” Hyunwoo replied, stroking a hand through his hair.  “You’re definitely an attractive Omega, and you’re a sweet kid.  We all agree that we would love to have you stay with us permanently, if that’s what you really want.”

“But you don’t want me to choose your pack yet.”

“You aren’t ready,” Hyunwoo replied.  “This is the only pack you know, and you don’t even really know what you’re going to want or need once you do experience your first heat.  As much as we love you and want you to be happy, we all realize that what we can give you may not be what you really need to be happy when you know what your body will want or need.”  Changkyun nodded again, continuing to work on eating the porridge Kihyun had given him.  “Once you’re off all of the IV medication, you should try to go out and experience what the real world is like.  We don’t want to keep you locked away from the world like everyone else always has… you deserve to have that freedom to explore and figure out what you really like and want…”

“Someone mentioned something about going to school…” Changkyun began.

“That’s definitely do-able,” Hyunwoo replied.  “I can find a tutor to work with you now, so that we can figure out how far you were able to get in school and what you still need to work on so that you can go to college in the future.  If that’s something you want, I can even try to find someone to come in as early as next week.”

Changkyun nodded, smiling at the idea.  “I’d really like that… I _want_ to learn.  I really liked school, but the Training Center was only focused on making sure that we knew how to do things to please our Alphas, like cooking and cleaning… which I can do, to help out Kihyun- _hyung_ if he’ll ever let me do that much…”

“When you’re better,” Hyunwoo replied.  “I’m okay with letting you work with a tutor while you’re recovering, because it isn’t very physically demanding and you can take breaks whenever you need to.  But we don’t want you to physically exert yourself.”

“Okay,” Changkyun replied.  “I understand.”

Changkyun closed his eyes as Hyunwoo pressed a soft kiss against his temple.  “Good.  I’ll work this afternoon on finding a tutor and see if we can arrange for someone to come meet you one day next week.  Does that sound good?”  Changkyun nodded, smiling at the idea.  “I need to go get some work done.  Finish your breakfast, and then you should do something fun,” Hyunwoo commented, slowly removing himself from Changkyun’s side and standing up.

Changkyun went back to eating his breakfast, emptying the bowl so that Kihyun wouldn’t be upset with him for not finishing his meal.


	12. Testing

When Changkyun had asked about going back to school and Hyunwoo had suggested a tutor, he hadn’t imagined that the Alpha would be able to find someone quite so quickly.  But by Monday afternoon, Changkyun found himself sitting at the apartment’s dining table next to a tall, thin Alpha named Namjoon that had shown up to work with him and determine how much more he needed to learn before he could sit for the college entrance examinations.

“I’m pretty impressed with your math skills, Changkyun- _ssi_ ,” Namjoon commented, looking over the problems that Changkyun had just completed as a way for Namjoon to gauge where he was academically.  “How long has it been since you’ve been in school?”

“A little over three years,” Changkyun replied.  “I was withdrawn just before I finished my first year of high school… you couldn’t go to school from the Training Centers…”

Namjoon nodded, making a couple of marks on the paper.  “Well it doesn’t look like you’ve forgotten much… you’ll probably be a little older than most students when you go to take the CATs exam, but if you’re willing to work hard we can definitely make college a possibility for you,” Namjoon replied, before putting his pen down and looking up at Changkyun again.  “How long have you been with Hyunwoo- _ssi_ ’s pack?”

“A couple of weeks… but I’ve mostly been in the hospital,” Changkyun replied.

“Are you feeling better?” Namjoon asked, leaning back in his chair.  “I know it can take a while to recover from being sick… I don’t want to push you to do too much before you’re ready to really start to tackle taking back your education…”

“I feel good most of the time… the nausea medication they prescribed makes me tired, but other than that I’m okay,” Changkyun replied.  “Mostly I’m just bored… the pack doesn’t want me to do too much, because they’re afraid that I’m going to make myself really sick again…”

“It’s understandable… it seems as if you’ve been having some pretty major health issues, and I think anyone would be concerned about making sure that you don’t overdo things and make yourself even worse,” Namjoon replied.  “I don’t want to push you to do too much on our first day, so I think we’ll just do the English diagnostic next.  It’s one of the shorter ones, and that will at least give me a good idea of where you are so that I can start working on a course plan for that and mathematics for our next session, if you’re okay with that?”

Changkyun nodded.  “Okay…”

The second diagnostic exam was definitely more difficult than the math test he’d taken first.  Changkyun didn’t really remember much of his English classes from school.  As an orphan, no one had really expected much of him in school; he had no money to pay for the university fees, and there was little chance of him being able to find a way to pay for himself.  His teachers had known that there was little chance of him going further than high school, and they had decided not to waste any time working with him or making sure that he understood what was going on in their lessons.

By the time he’d finished with the English exam, Changkyun was mentally exhausted.  He passed the paper back to the tutor, who seemed to realize that Changkyun was definitely mentally done.  “I’ll look at this tonight… you should probably go get some rest,” Namjoon commented, starting to pack up his things.  “I’ll call Hyunwoo- _ssi_ later and set up a schedule to come over and work with you over the next few weeks.  We’ll start with a couple of hours a week, and add more time as you get used to the workload.  I may give you some assignments to work on outside of our sessions in math, depending on how you’re doing with the work, but we’ll try and get you caught up as quickly as we can.  Does that sound okay?”

Changkyun nodded.  “That sounds good.  Thank you, Namjoon- _ssi_.”

“Go get some rest, pup.  You look like you might fall over from exhaustion right now, and I’m sure that Hyunwoo- _ssi_ won’t be very happy with me if I don’t force you to take care of yourself properly when you’re in my charge,” the Alpha commented.  “I’ll see myself out.”

Changkyun was too tired to immediately get up and make his way back to the living room - the only place on the first floor of the apartment that he was familiar with where he could actually lay down and sleep - and he let his head rest against the table and closed his eyes.

“How the hell did he fall asleep like that?  How is that even comfortable?”  Changkyun didn’t open his eyes, even as he felt someone moving him out of the seat and lifting him into their arms as he heard Hoseok speak.  “Maybe we shouldn’t have let Namjoon- _ssi_ come today… it’s too early, and clearly this was too much for him to handle…”

“I’ll talk to Namjoon- _ssi_ about adjusting the length of time he’s here, since he’s not exactly going to tell anyone when he gets too tired…” Hyunwoo replied.  Changkyun could tell by the vibrations that the older man was the one carrying him through the apartment.  “Let’s just take him to the couch… Kihyun- _ah_ said he hasn’t had dinner, so he’s going to need to eat when he wakes up.”

“Do you think we should wait before we let Namjoon- _ssi_ come back to work with him?  He’s going to wear himself out if we aren’t careful…” Hoseok commented.

“I think it’ll be fine, as long as we ask Namjoon to limit his time here,” Hyunwoo replied, as he carefully set Changkyun down on the couch and began to cover him with a blanket.  “He said he was here for about three hours today, but it was mostly doing some of the diagnostic exams he needs to figure out where to start with Changkyun’s education… they only got through math and English, so he still needs to do more diagnostics to figure out where to start with the other subjects…”

“It’s just hard to see him like this… he seems fine sometimes, but then he’ll just pass out and fall asleep at random…” Hoseok commented.  Changkyun felt the man stroking a hand through is hair.  “I’m not used to dealing with someone who’s been this sick…”

“You’re going to be a mess when Minhyuk has the pups, aren’t you?”  Changkyun could hear the pack Alpha chuckling slightly at Hoseok’s excessive concern over the situation.

“Don’t even get started about that… you have no idea how terrified I am about seeing Minhyuk- _ah_ in pain when that time comes…”

“You worry too much, Hoseok- _ah_ ,” Hyunwoo replied.  “Just go find something to do and relax for a while, okay?  Changkyun will be fine here for a while on his own.”

Changkyun found himself relaxing and drifting off to sleep again once the two Alphas left him alone on the couch, until he felt someone stroking his hair again.  “Changkyun- _ah_ … it’s time to wake up, pup…”  Changkyun blinked a few times, looking up at Kihyun as the Beta smiled at him.  “Hey… you need to eat something for dinner, and then you can go back to sleep if you want to.  You’ve been out for a while now…”

Changkyun nodded.  “Okay… help me up?” Changkyun asked, holding out his right hand so that the Beta could help him into a seated position.  He was surprised when Kihyun placed a tray of food on a small table in front of him.  “I can eat with everyone else…”

“We’re all coming in here to eat,” Hyungwon commented, sitting down on one side of Changkyun with his own tray of food.  “We normally try to watch a movie or something at least once a week… but we’ve missed out on the last few because so many things have been happening lately.  So we decided to put on a movie while we eat dinner, even if we can’t all stick around for the whole thing…”

Minhyuk soon joined them, sitting down on Changkyun’s other side before Hyunwoo sat down at the far end of the couch to cuddle with the expecting Omega.  “Changkyun- _ah_ … feeling better?” the man asked.

“Yes, _hyung_ … I guess I forgot how exhausting schoolwork could be…”

“If you get tired, you can always tell Namjoon- _ssi_ that you need a break or that you’re done for the day, even if he had more planned,” Hyunwoo replied, as they waited for the other three members of the pack to join them.  “I already spoke to him about the situation, and he’s more than willing to work with you on the timing until you’ve gotten used to having to think and work again.”

Changkyun nodded, smiling at the older man.  “Thank you, _hyung_ … I really appreciate everything that you’re all doing for me,” he commented, leaning into Minhyuk’s side slightly.  The elder Omega wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“You deserve to have someone care about you and take care of you,” Hyunwoo replied.

They settled in to watch the movie after that, although Changkyun found himself falling asleep against Minhyuk’s shoulder once he’d finished as much of his food as he could without starting to feel sick to his stomach.  He knew that he really needed to get up and ask someone to help him up to his room with the IV pump, but Changkyun was warm and comfortable tucked into the elder Omega’s side and he didn’t want to move.

“Maybe we should just let him sleep down here tonight…”  Changkyun shifted positions as he heard Minhyuk talking, knowing that it was about him.  “Or maybe he could come stay with me in the nest?  He seems to be sleeping really well here on me…”

“If you want him to stay with you, we can do that,” Hyunwoo commented.  “As long as you’re okay with it, I don’t mind letting him sleep with you in the nest.  He’s probably going to need to get used to the space, anyway… he’ll go into heat pretty quickly after the suppressants come out of his system completely, according to his doctor.  Which is something we need to make sure we talk to him about again…”

“I can do that,” Minhyuk replied.  “I’m assuming you want to know what he thinks he’s going to want to do when the time comes?”

“I’m mostly just concerned with making sure he understands what’s going to happen to his body, and what he’s going to want,” Hyunwoo commented.  “He seems like a smart kid, but I’m not convinced that he completely gets what it all means.”

“It’s a lot to process until you’ve actually gone through it… I had the benefit of being educated and knowing what was going to happen before it happened to me, and it was still confusing,” Minhyuk replied.  Changkyun turned into the man’s touch, enjoying the way Minhyuk stroked his hair to try and keep him calm and half-asleep.  “I think we might be waking him up…”

“Do you want me to take him for a bit, so you can go get ready for bed?” Hyunwoo asked.

“Yeah… that would probably be a good idea.”  Changkyun whimpered softly as he felt the two men shifting him onto the Alpha’s side, before instinctively curling into the Alpha’s warmth instead.  “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Take your time… I’m fine here, and he seems pretty comfortable right now,” Hyunwoo replied, letting one of his hands stroked down Changkyun’s back.  “Do what you need to do, okay?  I’ve got this.”

 


	13. New Rules

Changkyun woke up in the pack’s nest, stomach churning painfully despite the nausea medication he’d been given around the time he’d eaten dinner.  The middle of the night was one of the few times his stomach still got upset and began threatening to revolt, although he’d been lucky enough to not have to deal with it that much.  Still, this time Changkyun felt fairly certain that everything he’d eaten was going to be coming back up.

Changkyun was thankful when he found the large plastic bowl he’d been using to get sick into next to the mattress, which he grabbed quickly so that he could get sick.  There wasn’t much that could come up, given how long it had been since he’d actually had dinner, but it was enough to make him feel at least a little better.  Unfortunately, it was also enough to wake up Minhyuk, who was gently rubbing Changkyun’s back by the time he was finished.

“You okay now, pup?” Minhyuk asked.  Changkyun nodded, letting his eyes close for a moment.  “Let me go get you some water…”

“I need to clean out the bowl,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.

“I can do that,” Minhyuk commented, pressing a soft kiss on Changkyun’s cheek before taking the bowl from his hands and holding it as far away from them as he could.  “Just rest, okay?  I’m going to get you some water.”

Changkyun nodded, closing his eyes as the elder Omega got out of the nest and left the room for a few moments, before returning with a bottle of water and opening it for Changkyun.  “Drink as much as you can before you go back to sleep, pup… I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”  Changkyun nodded, taking a couple of tentative sips before he actually took a reasonable drink of the cool liquid.  It definitely helped his nausea to get the taste of vomit out of his mouth, and the water felt good as it soothed is throat on the way down.  He was exhausted, but the last thing he wanted was to fall asleep without actually thanking Minhyuk for helping him out.  He also needed to drink as much of the water as possible, because he knew that Minhyuk was serious about him taking proper care of himself.

“Changkyun- _ah_?”  He looked up at the sound of Hyunwoo’s sleepy voice coming from the doorway.  “Minhyuk- _ah_ said you got sick…”

“I feel better now, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, taking another sip of his water.  “I think it was just the antibiotics…”

The Alpha walked over to him, sitting down next to him on the mattress and stroking a hand over his cheek to check for a fever.  “You’re probably right.  Do you want me to get a dose of the nausea medicine for you?”  Changkyun thought for a moment, before nodding slightly.  Although his stomach definitely felt better, he knew that it was only temporary and the nausea would be back before long.  “Okay… try and get some more rest, pup.  You don’t have to be awake for me to give you the medicine, but I do want you to try and drink the whole bottle of water if you can, okay?”

Changkyun nodded.  “Yes, _hyung_.”

“Good…”  Changkyun closed his eyes as the Alpha pressed a soft kiss against his forehead.  “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Changkyun did his best to drink as much of the bottle of water as he could, until he wasn’t sure that he could drink any more without getting sick.  He put the bottle on the table next to him, before curling up on his side in the bed and trying to go back to sleep.  It wasn’t easy to fall asleep again, alone in the bed without anyone else to cuddle with him, and Changkyun was still awake when Minhyuk and Hyunwoo came into the room again.

“Not sleeping?” Minhyuk asked, climbing back into the bed and curling up with him so that they could have as much skin-to-skin contact as possible.

“I couldn’t go back to sleep alone,” Changkyun replied.

“Aww… you’re so cute when you’re clingy and cuddly,” Minhyuk commented, pulling him a bit closer as Hyuwnoo worked on administering the nausea medication.  “Why haven’t we been cuddling together all along?”

“Because we were all worried that Changkyun- _ah_ might be contagious, and we needed to make sure he was reasonably healthy before you spent that much time in such close quarters with him,” Hyunwoo replied.  “Try to go back to sleep, both of you… it’s still a pretty long time until morning.”

“Stay with us?” Minhyuk asked.

“Not tonight… not until Changkyun- _ah_ has completely come off the heat suppressants and gone through his first heat.  I don’t want to risk triggering a heat while he’s still on the suppressants,” Hyunwoo replied.

“So you’re going to make me choose between the two of you?  Really?” Minhyuk asked.  Changkyun could hear the pout in the man’s voice.  “ _Hyung_ … I’m having your pups…”

“And I’m trying to protect the _maknae_ from going into heat before he’s ready for it,” Hyunwoo replied.  “Go to sleep, Minhyuk- _ah_.  I promise to give you all of the cuddles you want tomorrow, once I finish the couple of work things I need to get accomplished.  I’ll even come home early, okay?”  Changkyun could tell that the man was still pouting behind his back, even as Hyunwoo smiled slightly and reached up to muss Minhyuk’s hair.  “Sleep.  Both of you.”

Changkyun closed his eyes, even though he wasn’t really all that tired yet.  But having the elder Omega wrapped around him in a back hug was comforting, and it didn’t take long for Changkyun to feel the nausea medication beginning to make him feel tired again.

By the time Changkyun woke up again, the sun was up and Minhyuk was curled up next to him, playing a game on his phone instead of actually sleeping.  “What are you playing?” he asked softly, turning so that he could try to see the screen.

“It’s a puzzle game one of Hyungwon- _ah_ ’s college friends introduced him to,” Minhyuk replied.  “It’s ridiculously addictive… once we get you a phone, you should definitely download it.”

“Why would I need a phone?” Changkyun asked, a little confused by the idea.  He’d never had a phone before, so the idea of having such a device was a foreign concept for him.

Minhyuk, however, seemed surprised by the question.  “Because you aren’t going to always be here in the apartment… when you’re off those IVs, you’ll be able to go out and explore the neighborhood.  And I have a feeling that you’ll probably _want_ to go out once you’re feeling better… it can get pretty boring being stuck around here all the time.  If you leave, though, we want to have a way to get in touch with you or for you to get in touch with us in case you get lost or something like that…”

Changkyun still felt confused.  “But… why would I go out alone?  I’ve always had to have someone else go with me…”

“That was when you were at the Training Center, though… those rules no longer apply,” Minhyuk explained.  “You’re free to do what you want here, Changkyun- _ah_ , within reason.  If you want us to go with you, then that’s fine and we’ll do it.  But you don’t have to have a chaperone, and you can go out of the apartment if you want to.”

“So… I really am free to do pretty much whatever I want?” Changkyun replied, still trying to process just how much freedom he was actually going to have once he was healthy again.

“You’re a human being with free will, just like all of the rest of us,” Minhyuk commented, turning to smile at him.  “You aren’t going to be forced to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, and we aren’t going to stop you from exploring that freedom, as long as you aren’t trying to do anything ridiculously dangerous or dumb.  Hyunwoo- _hyung_ will draw the line at things like illegal drugs and smoking, because those are stupid things to try.  But when you’re off the antibiotics, we’ll get some soju or something for you to try.”

Changkyun raised an eyebrow.  “What is soju?”

“Alcohol… you have heard of alcohol before, right?” Minhyuk asked.

“Only when they told us that Omegas shouldn’t drink… we were taught that it could cause a lot of health problems and make us unable to please our Alpha…”  Changkyun shook his head as he realized exactly what he was saying.  “That isn’t right, is it?”

“It’s partially true… or at least the part about causing health problems is.  But that requires a very large amount of alcohol, consumed over a fairly long period of time.  For a healthy person, the only immediate risk comes from the possibility of alcohol poisoning, and we have no intention of letting you drink excessively…”

Changkyun nodded at the explanation, thankful that he had Minhyuk there to help him understand.  “So it’s okay, as long as you don’t overdo it?” Changkyun asked.

“For most people,” Minhyuk replied.  “You shouldn’t drink alcohol while you’re on antibiotics, or when you’re pregnant, or otherwise not feeling well.  Dehydration can be a pretty major issue, too.  But as long as you don’t let yourself lose control of your drinking, you’ll be just fine.”

“There are a lot of things I don’t know…” Changkyun commented, shaking his head.  “I hate not knowing things that should be common knowledge.  I’ve lived in this country my entire life, but I feel like I grew up on an alien planet or something like that.”

“It’s okay… we’re here to help you,” Minhyuk replied.  “It’s sick how much the Training Centers have perverted the idea of what an Omega should be… they all want to create this idea that Alphas are our masters, and that we’re just here to please them and give them pups when _they_ want them.  But that’s completely wrong… every dynamic has its own strengths, and we’re designed to compliment one another and be equals…”

Changkyun couldn’t help the confusion that he was sure Minhyuk could see on his face.  “But… you’re carrying Hyunwoo- _hyung_ ’s pups…”

“They’re _our_ pups.  And I’m only pregnant because I _want_ to be… Hyunwoo- _hyung_ wanted pups, but nothing happened until I was ready to move forward.  And that’s how it _should_ be - the Alphas in whatever pack you choose should respect you enough to let you make the final decision about when or if you are going to have pups.”

Changkyun nodded, letting his hand move to rest over the significantly more defined swell of the elder’s belly.  Even though it had only been a short time since Changkyun had been brought into the pack’s home, he could see definite changes in the elder’s body due to the pups he carried.  “I do want this one day…”

“Speaking of which… Hyunwoo- _hyung_ wanted me to talk to you about what’s going to happen when you come off the suppressants…” Minhyuk began.  Changkyun nodded, turning towards the older man.  “We need to know what you’re going to want us to do to help you… it’s going to be really uncomfortable, and the only thing that helps is sex.  But if you aren’t comfortable with that, we can find alternative ways to help you deal with it…”

“I… I don’t really know what I’m going to want,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.  “I feel like I should know… but I’m not even really all that sure about the details of how things are going to work when the time actually comes… I’m not really sure exactly where things _go_ , even…”

“Oh God… I’m not sure I’m ready to give you a complete sex education lesson this early in the morning…”

“Do we need coffee for this conversation?” Changkyun asked, finally starting to sit up.  He’d started to realize that most of his new friends ran on caffeine, and they often weren’t able to do much beyond basic processes before they got their coffee fix in the morning.

“I’m not sure if I’m allowed to _drink_ enough coffee to be completely ready for this conversation.  But you and I both need to go eat and take our medicine, so I suppose it’s probably best if we go ahead and get up to go deal with that first…” Minhyuk replied, following Changkyun’s lead and sitting up.  “I’m going to go get someone to help with the IV, since neither of us are supposed to carry it right now.  We can talk after we finish breakfast.”


	14. Experimentation

Changkyun sank back into the mattress in one of the downstairs bedrooms on the other side of the apartment, thankful that Minhyuk had chosen to take him somewhere a bit more private for their conversation.  It wasn’t that Changkyun was embarrassed by the fact that he didn’t know what was supposed to happen - but he did have a feeling that it was going to be a little uncomfortable to talk about given what he already knew about heats.

“So, I know Jooheon has already given you some info about heats…but I guess he didn’t really get into too many details about exactly how sex works…” Minhyuk began.

“It’s all still a little new to me…” Changkyun admitted.  “We were always just told that our Alpha would do all of the work, and that we just needed to lay back and let it happen…”

“Okay, no… you should be able to enjoy sex, too.  And fuck laying back and letting it happen, because it’s way more enjoyable when you are taking control of your own pleasure,” Minhyuk replied.  “I think… I think it might be easier to _show_ you than to try and tell you, if that’s something you’re okay with…”

Changkyun raised an eyebrow.  “We can do that?  The Alphas won’t get mad?”

“It’s not a bad thing to experiment… Jooheon- _ah_ and I have been doing it ever since he joined us.  And you’re free to mess around with anyone you want, as long as you’re doing it safely,” Minhyuk replied, getting up.  “Do you want to?  I can go get supplies…”

Changkyun nodded slowly.  “Okay… if it won’t be a problem, I’m okay with trying that…”

Minhyuk smiled.  “I’ll be right back, okay?”

Waiting for Minhyuk to come back was a little nerve-wracking for Changkyun, because he wasn’t really sure what was going to happen when the elder Omega returned to the room.  But Minhyuk was back quickly, closing the door behind him before setting a few things out on the small nightstand.  “We’ll go slow, okay?  I don’t want to freak you out, but all you have to do is tell me if anything makes you uncomfortable, okay?”

“Okay,” Changkyun replied, nodding as the elder omega sat down next to him, putting a hand on Changkyun’s cheek.

“I’m going to kiss you now, okay?”  Changkyun nodded, watching as the elder man leaned in slowly, guiding Changkyun with his hand so that their lips met without much fuss or confusion on Changkyun’s part.  It was soft and gentle, and Changkyun found himself relaxing into the sensation and letting Minhyuk continue the kiss for a few moments before pulling away.  “Was that okay?” Minhyuk asked.

Changkyun nodded, smiling at the man’s question.  “Yeah… I liked that,” Changkyun replied.  “It was nice.”

Minhyuk smiled at him, nodding.  “Lay back, okay?  I’m going to go a little further this time, and I want you to be comfortable.”

“What’s going to happen?” Changkyun asked.  He could feel the butterflies in his stomach as he did what he was told, more out of excitement than actual nervousness.  Changkyun trusted Minhyuk, and he had no reason to doubt that the man would take care of him.

“We’re just going to kiss for a little bit… you need to be comfortable and relaxed for what we’re about to do, and I want you to enjoy it,” Minhyuk replied, lying down next to Changkyun and gently guiding him onto his side so that they were facing one another.  “If you want anything specific, just let me know… this is for you to discover what you like, not for me, okay?”

“But you just said…”

“I _want_ to make you feel good, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Minhyuk interrupted.  “If you enjoy yourself, then I’ll be happy.”

Changkyun nodded, before leaning in slowly to press a soft kiss against the older man’s lips.  “Okay.”  The elder Omega moved slightly closer, letting one of his arms drape gently over Changkyun’s waist so that his hand was on Changkyun’s lower back.  

Minhyuk began to deepen the kiss, pressing their bodies together before gently moving his free hand into Changkyun’s hair to help guide him as they kissed before pulling back slightly to press their foreheads together for a moment.  Changkyun whimpered softly at the loss of contact, although he was thankful for the extra time to breathe and process what was going on.  “Still with me?”

“Yeah…” Changkyun replied, sighing slightly as he closed his eyes.  “I like kissing…”

Minhyuk chuckled slightly.  “Uh huh… ready to keep going?”  Changkyun nodded.  “Is it okay if I take your shirt off?”

Changkyun nodded, shifting slightly so that he could help the man unhook his IV line and remove the tee shirt he’d slept in the night before, before hooking everything back up so that they could continue what they had started.  While Changkyun felt a little exposed sitting there without a shirt while Minhyuk was still fully dressed, it was quickly pushed from his mind as the older man came back to kiss him again, this time adding in the use of his tongue.  It was much more intense, and Changkyun found himself moaning softly into the kiss as they moved carefully together.  Changkyun definitely wasn’t an expert at kissing by any stretch of the imagination, but he was much more comfortable now that he knew what to expect from the elder Omega.

Minhyuk pulled away a moment later, stripping off his own shirt and moving so that he was straddling Changkyun’s hips as he lay back on the bed.  Changkyun moved his hands to the elder Omega’s waist, smiling slightly at the way his stomach bumped out slightly.  “Good grief… you’re so tiny…” Minhyuk commented.  Changkyun didn’t get a chance to respond before Minhyuk moved to kiss him again, messing with the waistband of Changkyun’s sweatpants as he started kissing down Changkyun’s jawline and moving down his neck.

“We have to be naked?” Changkyun asked, definitely feeling more exposed as the man played with the last of his clothing.  He wasn’t completely sure what was going on, but he could feel his dick reacting to what they were doing, straining against his underwear in a way that he was fairly certain Minhyuk could feel through his clothes.

“You don’t have to… but it’s easier this way.  Less stuff getting in the way, and more freedom to move and do what you need to do to feel good,” Minhyuk replied.  “Do you trust me?”  Changkyun nodded, biting down on his bottom lip as Minhyuk pulled down his sweatpants and underwear all in one go.  Thankfully, Minhyuk seemed to realize that he wasn’t completely comfortable and was quick to remove his own clothing, so that they were both completely naked.  “If you want to stop, all you have to do is say so.”

“I don’t want to stop,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.  “I’m just nervous, _hyung_ … I’ve never done this…”

Minhyuk leaned down, pressing another soft kiss against his lips.  “I know, pup… that’s why we’re going slow.”  There was another soft kiss against his lips.  “Just tell me what you want, okay?  You can always say no at any time.”  Changkyun nodded, relaxing a little bit and moving his hands back to Minhyuk’s hips.

The elder Omega was slow and deliberate in his movements as he kissed and touched as much of Changkyun’s skin as he safely could, keeping his hands away from Changkyun’s crotch for as long as possible.  “Please, _hyung_ …” Changkyun whimpered, bucking his hips up slightly.  His cock was already hard, and he could feel something starting to leak from his entrance.

Minhyuk pressed another kiss against Changkyun’s lips, reaching for an extra pillow.  “Spread your legs, and lift your hips up for me, baby,” Minhyuk commented softly.  Changkyun did as he was told, letting the older man place the pillow under his hips.  There were more kisses as Minhyuk positioned himself between Changkyun’s legs, stroking his hands down Changkyun’s inner thighs softly as he pulled back to sit on his heels.  “I’m going to touch you, okay?  Tell me if anything makes you uncomfortable.”

Changkyun just nodded, watching as the older man grabbed his supplies from the nightstand.  There was a bottle of some kind of clear liquid, a little foil packet Changkyun wasn’t familiar with, and something that looked like a larger version of a cock.  “What is that?” he asked softly, nodding towards the items in Minhyuk’s hands.

“Lube, a condom, and a knotting dildo.  This one is brand new… Jooheon- _ah_ and I rush ordered a couple of things when we thought you would probably be going into heat pretty quickly after you got here, so that we would be prepared to help you if you weren’t comfortable actually letting any of us touch you,” Minhyuk replied.  “I know you’re okay with us… but I can’t knot you, and I thought I would bring it out just in case you’re feeling up to taking something a bit bigger once we get started.”

“But it’s huge…”

Minhyuk smiled.  “It’s smaller than either of our Alphas… but I’m sure it does look pretty massive to someone who’s never seen an Alpha before,” the elder Omega replied.  “Don’t worry about it, okay?  I’m going to make sure you’re ready before I bring this thing anywhere near you, and I’ll warn you before I start using it.”  Changkyun nodded, watching as Minhyuk set the device to the side, before opening the bottle of lube and rubbing it between his fingers for a few moments before he touched Changkyun with his slicked hand.  Minhyuk seemed a bit surprised when he ran his fingers around Changkyun’s entrance.  “Fuck… I didn’t know you would be able to produce slick when you were on suppressants…” the elder man commented, continuing to rub his slicked fingers against his entrance.  “It isn’t as much as you’ll make when you’re in heat, but it’ll definitely make it easier to open you up and get you ready.”

Changkyun moaned softly as Minhyuk slowly began to push one of his fingertips into Changkyun’s entrance, sending waves of pleasure through his body.  It felt strange, but good at the same time.  It was all Changkyun could do to hold himself still as Minhyuk slowly sank his finger in, because he wanted the elder Omega to move faster.  “ _Hyung_ … more, please…”

“Shh… we’re going to take this slowly,” Minhyuk replied, pulling his hand back out slowly before pushing it back in a bit faster.  After a few thrusts, Changkyun felt Minhyuk beginning to slowly add in a second finger.  The stretch was a little more uncomfortable with two fingers, but there was just enough lubrication to keep it from being painful.  

Before Changkyun really knew what was happening, Minhyuk leant down and licked a stripe up the bottom of Changkyun’s cock before enveloping it in the warm, wet heat of his mouth as he also pushed both of his fingers in as far as they could go and curled them slightly upward, rubbing his fingertips across a bundle of nerves that sent a shock of pleasure through Changkyun’s body that nearly pushed him over the edge.  “Fuck!”

Minhyuk chuckled at the word, popping off Changkyun’s cock to smile up at him.  “It feels good, doesn’t it?”  Changkyun nodded, closing his eyes as he felt the older man curling his fingers up again, making Changkyun whimper softly at the sensation.  “You look so good like this… I’m going to love watching you fall apart underneath me…”

The elder Omega pulled his fingers back, spreading them apart as he went in order to stretch out the muscle.  It was a strange sensation, but Changkyun trusted Minhyuk and he could tell that the older man’s careful ministrations were causing his body to produce more slick.  Minhyuk was also careful to grab the bottle of lube when he pulled his fingers out, adding more of the liquid and warming it up in his hands again before he went back to work on making sure that Changkyun was prepared  for what was to come.  It felt good, and Changkyun wanted more.  “ _Hyung_ … I think I’m ready…”

“Let me take care of you, pup… I promise, I’m going to give you what you want as soon as you’re ready,” Minhyuk replied, moving up to press another kiss against Changkyun’s lips as he continued stretching the muscles at his entrance with his fingers.  While Changkyun was distracted, Minhyuk managed to slip in a third finger that made Changkyun moan into the kiss.  “I promise you, it’s going to be worth the wait…”

Changkyun nodded, whimpering at the sensation as he closed his eyes.  “It’s so good, _hyung_ …”

“Hyunwoo- _hyung_ does a better job than I can,” Minhyuk replied.  “When you go into heat, he’s going to fill you up so good… his fingers are thicker than mine, and he’ll be able to stretch you open so much faster than I can…”  Changkyun whimpered again at the thought, writhing under Minhyuk’s touch.  

After a few more moments, Changkyun felt Minhyuk pull his hand away completely and he whined loudly at the loss of sensation. “ _Hyung_ …”  

“Give me a second, baby… I need to put on the condom, and then I’m going to make you feel so good…” Minhyuk replied.  Changkyun watched as Minhyuk did exactly as he’d explained that he was about to do, before getting more lube and slicking up the condom.  Minhyuk’s hand was back a moment later, although this time the slick appendage was wrapped around Changkyun’s cock.  “Tell me if it gets uncomfortable, baby… I don’t want to hurt you, but it’s not as easy when you aren’t making as much slick as you would be if you were in heat.”

Changkyun nodded, moaning at the sensation of having Minhyuk’s hand stroking his cock as Minhyuk lined up his cock with Changkyun’s entrance.  The elder Omega was careful as he pushed in, giving Changkyun time to adjust to the intrusion as he went while continuing to pay attention to Changkyun’s cock.  “Fuck… _hyung_ …”

The elder omega began to thrust at that, causing Changkyun to whimper at the sensation.  “You’re doing so good, Changkyunnie… such a good Omega for me, baby…”  It was a little overwhelming, and Changkyun found himself tearing up at the sensations coursing through his body, until Minhyuk stopped moving.  “ _Aish_ … why are you crying, baby?  Am I hurting you?”

Changkyun shook his head.  “No… no, it feels good…” he replied.  “I just… it’s a lot…”

There was a brief moment of silence as Minhyuk nodded reaching out to take Changkyun’s hands.  “It’s okay, pup… it is kind of overwhelming the first time you have sex.  Do you want me to stop?”

“No!  No, please keep going… I need you to keep going…” Changkyun replied, shifting his hips in an attempt at getting the elders cock deeper inside of him.  Instead, Minhyuk pulled out.  “ _Hyung_?  Why are you stopping?”

“It’s okay, baby… I’m getting the toy,” Minhyuk replied.  Changkyun couldn’t help the look of confusion on his face.  “Don’t worry… I promise you, it’s going to be better than you can even imagine right now.”

“But I want you…” Changkyun commented softly, confused.

The elder Omega leaned down to press a kiss against his lips.  “I’m not going anywhere… but I can’t do it myself right now.  You still trust me, right?”  Changkyun nodded.  “Good.  I promise you, I’m going to make you feel so good…”

The toy was slicked up quickly, before Minhyuk moved it to Changkyun’s entrance and began to slowly press the tip into him.  It was definitely larger than Minhyuk’s cock, but with all of the lube and Changkyun’s own slick it slid in fairly easily.  Minhyuk was careful to give Changkyun time to adjust to the size, pausing every inch or so as he kissed and nipped at Changkyun’s neck.  It wasn’t until the toy was fully sheathed inside Changkyun’s ass that Minhyuk twisted the bottom of the device, making it vibrate in such a way that made Changkyun yelp in surprise.

“Sorry… I should have warned you that it was going to do that…” Minhyuk commented, as Changkyun writhed at the sensation.  It felt good, but Changkyun hadn’t expected the sensation and it was making it difficult for him to concentrate.  It didn’t take long for him to lose control, shooting several thick strings of cum across his stomach and chest as Minhyuk pressed the device against the same bundle of nerves that he’d hit with his fingers earlier.  

Before Changkyun could even figure out what was going on, he could feel the base of the device swelling inside of him.  “Fuck… what… _hyung_?” he asked, breathing heavily as he tried not to lose control again despite the fact that the device was still vibrating inside of him.

“It’s a knotting dildo… it simulates an Alpha’s knot, for Omegas who can’t be with an alpha when they’re in heat.  The vibration will stop once it’s fully inflated, and then it will slowly deflate over the next ten minutes or so,” Minhyuk replied, as the vibrations began to slow down.  Changkyun closed his eyes as the device finally stopped vibrating, although it was still stimulating the little bundle of nerves to some degree.

“What is that spot?” Changkyun asked, still breathing heavily.

“What spot?”

“The one you kept hitting… the one that felt so good…”

Minhyuk chuckled slightly.  “It’s called your prostate… it’ll swell up when you go into heat, which will make it all even more amazing,” Minhyuk replied.  “Orgasms during heat can last a really long time, too, because the Alpha’s knot will keep pressing on it through his orgasm, and he’ll fill you up with his cum… it doesn’t sound good, but it’s actually an amazing feeling…”

Changkyun nodded slowly, letting his body relax completely.  “It already feels really good…”

Minhyuk kissed Changkyun again.  “I know.  I’m going to go get something to clean you up with, and then we’ll get you dressed again once the dildo deflates and I can take it out.”


	15. Aftermath

Changkyun woke up in Hoseok’s arms, cradled against the Alpha’s chest.  “Why did you decide to have sex with him?  He’s sick…”

“He’s feeling better, and he wanted it,” Minhyuk explained.  “Trust me, I wouldn’t have touched him if he hadn’t been into the idea.  It was just… it felt right, and I knew that it would be easier to demonstrate what I meant, rather than trying to explain it.  And he enjoyed himself…”

“He wore himself out,” Hoseok replied.

“He would have worn himself out doing just about anything,” Minhyuk defended.  “It’s not a big deal, _hyung_ …”

Changkyun curled into the Alpha’s chest, closing his eyes again at the comfort of being held close by someone who cared about him.  “ _Yah_ … are you waking up now?” Hoseok asked.

“I’m still tired,” Changkyun replied.  “You’re warm.”

The Alpha chuckled slightly at Changkyun’s comment.  “Okay… so I take it you aren’t going to want to move any time soon, are you?”  Changkyun shook his head.  “We can stay here for a little while longer… but we’re going to have to go get you some lunch soon, or Kihyun- _ah_ is going to be angry with me for not feeding you.”

“He’s adorable, isn’t he?” Minhyuk asked softly, stroking a hand through Changkyun’s hair.

“He is… but you still shouldn’t have had sex with him right now, when he’s still on all of the medication and still not completely better,” Hoseok replied.  “He’s probably going to be out for a while… I’m going to stay with him, if you want to go.”

“I’ll stay.”

Changkyun found himself waking up again later, still wrapped up in Hoseok’s arms as the Alpha rubbed his back.  “You awake now?” Hoseok asked softly.  Changkyun nodded slowly, although he didn’t move to pull away.  He was comfortable, although his stomach was starting to feel a little upset.  “Let’s go get you some food, and then we can talk.”

“I really did want it, _hyung_ … it was good,” Changkyun replied.

“Let’s get you something to eat first, before we talk… you slept through lunch,” Hoseok replied, stroking a hand through his hair before he helped Changkyun sit up.  “How are you feeling?”

“Still a little tired.  And my stomach is a little upset, but I think food might help,” Changkyun replied.  “Can we start with just some rice?  I promise I’ll eat something else once my stomach calms down,” Changkyun commented.

“Of course… I’m not going to force you to eat a lot if you aren’t feeling well,” Hoseok replied, helping Changkyun to his feet and wrapping an arm around his waist.  “You aren’t sore?”

“A little,” Changkyun admitted, as they walked towards the kitchen with Hoseok hauling the IV along for him.  “It’s not that bad, honestly… just a little uncomfortable.”

Hoseok nodded, gently rubbing Changkyun’s back.  “That’s good,” Hoseok replied.  “It shouldn’t last for too long, if he prepped you properly.  Which it sounds like he did, since you don’t seem to be in a lot of pain.”

“He was really gentle,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.  “I’m really okay… Minhyuk- _hyung_ took really good care of me.  I’m glad that my first time was with someone from the pack.”

Hoseok stopped, turning so that they were face to face.  “Hey… I’m only upset because I don’t think it was a good idea for _any_ of us to have sex with you right now.  You’re still recovering from everything that’s happened to your body, and none of us are really sure how the suppressants work and what something like this might do to you…”

“What do you mean?” Changkyun asked, suddenly feeling a little unsure of whether or not he actually wanted to know what the man was talking about.

“Hormones are weird… we already saw how your body reacted when we took away the suppressants completely without tapering off the hormones.  Pheromones can complicate things, because they will affect the way your body reacts to those hormones, and anything related to sex is going to expose you to pheromones.  It’s why Hyunwoo- _hyung_ and I haven’t been letting ourselves spend too much time with you, because we don’t want to push your body into a triggered heat while you’re still on the IVs and the suppressants.”

“So… it’s to protect me,” Changkyun replied.

“Exactly,” Hoseok replied, smiling at him.  “It’s fine for Omegas to explore together like that… if it makes you more comfortable when the time comes for you to go into heat, then it’s a good thing.  But it’s really something that should have waited a little bit longer, because of your health situation.”

Changkyun nodded.  “I’m sorry… I didn’t know…”

“I know that you didn’t,” Hoseok replied, shaking his head.  “No one will be upset with you for what happened.  I’m not even really upset with Minhyuk- _ah_ , because it wasn’t something we had talked to him about.  We didn’t think about the fact that he might try to teach you about sex in such a hands-on way.”  Changkyun nodded, closing his eyes and looking down towards the floor.  Hoseok pressed a kiss against the top of his head.  “Come on… let’s get you some food, before your stomach really starts to get upset.  You seem like you’re fine, and we’ll keep an eye on you so that we can deal with it if you start to go into heat unexpectedly.”

Changkyun let the Alpha guide him into the kitchen, sitting down at the small table as Hoseok moved to get Changkyun something to eat.  The Alpha was quick to get together a bowl of rice from the rice cooker on the counter, passing it to Changkyun with a spoon.  “Eat what you can of that, and then I’ll get you something else if you’re still hungry.”

“Thank you, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, smiling at the man as he started to eat what was in his bowl.  It didn’t take long for Changkyun’s stomach to start feeling as if he was going to be sick again and push the bowl away.

“Too much?”  Changkyun nodded, closing his eyes as the Alpha moved to sit next to him and rubbed his back gently.  “Tell me what’s going on - is it the nausea?”

“Yeah… it’s kind of bad right now, and I don’t want to make myself sick…”  

Changkyun felt the Alpha lean in to press a kiss against his temple, before moving away quickly.  “I’m going to check on when you’re supposed to be able to have another dose of the nausea medicine, and then I’ll give it to you if I can.  Do you want to go lay down on the couch for now?”  Changkyun nodded, thankful when Hoseok put an arm around his waist again and helped him out towards the living room couch so that he could lay down.

Falling asleep again was surprisingly easy, despite his upset stomach.  Changkyun was just thankful when he woke up to a much calmer stomach, cuddled up against Jooheon’s chest as the other Omega watched something on television.  He smiled, curling in a little closer to the older Omega as Jooheon stroked a hand through his hair.  “Changkyun- _ah_?  You waking up?”

“No…” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.  The elder Omega chuckled slightly, carefully shifting Changkyun so that they were both a bit more comfortable.

“Uh-huh… Hoseok- _ah_ said I should ask you if you’re feeling any better when you woke up…” Jooheon replied.

“I’m tired,” Changkyun commented, forcing his eyes open.  “Can I just go to bed already?”

“I don’t think Kihyun- _hyung_ will go for that one… you haven’t really eaten much of anything today, and he’s going to want you to at least _try_ to have some dinner before bed,” Jooheon replied.

Changkyun grumbled slightly at the thought, but he forced his eyes open so that he could see the older man’s reaction to his pout.  “ _Yah_ , don’t give me that, pup… you have to eat.  You have bones poking through your skin, according to Minhyuk- _hyung_.  We have to get some fat on your body, so that you can be healthy.”

“I’m just tired, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied.

Jooheon smiled, stroking a hand through Changkyun’s hair as he spoke.  “I know, pup.  You can go back to sleep after you eat, okay?”  Changkyun nodded, starting to sit up with the older Omega’s assistance.  “I bet if we go bug him, Kihyun- _hyung_ would be able to find you something to eat now so that you won’t have to wait too long to get some more sleep.”

Changkyun nodded again, letting the elder Omega guide him into the kitchen, where Kihyun was already working on the pack’s dinner.  “ _Hyung_ … is there any chance that you have something for Changkyun- _ah_ to eat?  He’s exhausted, and I know you aren’t going to let him go to sleep without eating something first…”

“There’s rice ready, like always, but the kimchi stew is going to need a few more minutes.  And you are _not_ going to let him fill up completely on rice, because that isn’t nutritious enough for him to live off of,” Kihyun replied.

Changkyun watched as Jooheon nodded, immediately going to a cabinet and pulling out a bowl.  “I’ll get you some rice to start with, then, and you can have some stew as soon as it’s done.  Go ahead and sit down, Changkyun- _ah_.”

The kitchen was fairly quiet as the two older men worked, before Jooheon placed a bowl and spoon down in front of him.  “Thank you, _hyung_.”

“Don’t eat too much, okay?  I want you to eat as much of this stew as possible, because you need to eat more today than just rice… Hoseok- _hyung_ said that you didn’t eat much at lunch,” Kihyun replied.

“My stomach was upset,” Changkyun replied, picking up the spoon.

“I know… no one is upset with you,” Kihyun replied, shaking his head as he continued to stir the stew.  “We just need to make sure that you are getting the proper nutrients back into your system.  You’ve been deprived of what your body needs for so long, it’s a miracle that you haven’t gotten really, _really_ sick because of it.”

Changkyun nodded, taking a few bites of the rice he’d been given so that he at least had _something_ to keep him occupied for a few moments as he waited for Kihyun’s stew to finish cooking.  It thankfully didn’t take long, and Changkyun was happy to eat the stew as soon as Kihyun placed the bowl in front of him.  “Thank you, _hyung_ … it smells good.”

“Eat as much as you can, okay?  Don’t make yourself sick, but I want you to be full when you go to bed,” Kihyun replied.  Changkyun nodded, going back to the two bowls.  “Jooheon- _ah_ , can you go let everyone else know that dinner is ready?”


	16. Good News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you read - I posted a chapter last night, too, so make sure you've read 15!!

Changkyun watched silently as the doctor silently assessed the line in his arm.  “Everything looks good… given how well you’ve healed, I think we’re safe to call the antibiotic treatment successful and remove this line,” the doctor explained.

“What about the pills?” Changkyun asked.

The doctor smiled.  “You’re still a few days from being fully weaned off the heat suppressants, so unfortunately those have to continue for a bit longer.  And I want you to stay on the vitamins for at least a few more weeks, to make sure that we get you healthy again.  But the IV portion of your treatment is done.”

“When will the line be taken out?” Hoseok asked.  The younger of the pack’s Alphas had been given the task of taking Changkyun to the doctor, because Hyunwoo had been needed at the office and everyone else with a driver’s license had been busy that particular day.

“We can do it before you leave today,” the doctor replied.  “There’s no reason to leave this line in any longer, when it’s no longer serving a purpose.  All it’s doing at this point is serving as a potential source of infection, and we don’t want you to end up with another infection when you’re still recovering from the last one.  It will take a little while to get everything set up, and then we’ll need to monitor him for an hour or so after the line is removed to be sure that there are no serious issues from the procedure.”

“Okay.  We can do that,” Hoseok replied.  “We just want Changkyun- _ah_ healthy.”

“I’ll go ahead and get the order written, and we’ll get everything set up to get it taken care of as quickly as possible,” the doctor replied.  

“Thank you, doctor.”  Changkyun was thankful when the man left him alone with Hoseok.  The Alpha smiled over at him.  “Are you glad to be getting that thing out?”

“I’m just glad this is almost over,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.  “I’m worried that it’s going to hurt… I was asleep when they put the tube in, so I don’t know how it’s supposed to feel.”

Hoseok smiled, moving closer and standing between Changkyun’s knees, leaning in to press a kiss against his forehead.  “You’re going to be fine.  Even if it’s uncomfortable, it’ll only last for a couple of minutes and then it’ll be over.”

“But if something goes wrong…”

“It _won’t_ ,” Hoseok reassured him.  “The observation is just a precaution.  Everything is going to be fine - I promise you.”  Changkyun nodded, leaning his head against the Alpha’s shoulder.  “Once it’s over, I’ll take you out to get something for lunch, okay?  Whatever you want to eat.”

“Chicken?” Changkyun asked.  He couldn’t help being comforted by the chuckle that rumbled through the Alpha’s body.

“Of course - if that’s what you really want, I’ll gladly take you out for chicken,” Hoseok replied.

Changkyun couldn’t help smiling at the thought, still leaning against the Alpha.  “Does this mean that I can start going out during the day?  I want to go to the library…”

“The library?  Really?”

“Namjoon- _hyung_ said there are a lot of good books there… he gave me a list of things I should try to read, when I feel up to it,” Changkyun replied.  The Alpha chuckled.  “What’s so funny?”

“You’re such an adorable little nerd… you know that, right?  You’ve been stuck inside for ages, and the first thing you want to do when you’re allowed to go out on your own is go to a library.”

Changkyun shrugged.  “I like books…”

“You should have told us… we would have gone to the bookstore for you,” Hoseok replied, rubbing a hand down Changkyun’s back.  “I’ll take you to go get a library card tomorrow, if you’re feeling up to it, okay?  You probably shouldn’t go out completely alone until you know the neighborhood, or at least have a phone so that you can communicate with us when you’re out of the apartment.”

“I like that idea,” Changkyun replied.

The door opened at that moment, causing Changkyun to sit up again as a smiling nurse came into the room with them.  “Alright… we’re almost ready for you in the other room.  Your Alpha will need to stay here, at least until we’re finished with the procedure.  I’m going to ask you to go ahead and change into a gown - you can leave your jeans on, but the shirt needs to come off.”  Changkyun nodded, starting to take off his tee shirt before accepting the folded fabric from the nurse to cover up with.  “Alright… I’ll come back after we’re finished, so that you can come join him.”

Changkyun obediently followed the nurse back to another room, which had a more typical hospital bed instead of the typical exam table.  “Go ahead and lay down on your back, and we’ll get started.  I’m going to ask you to keep your head turned away, and once we have the dressing off and the stitches cut you’ll need to hold your breath until the tube is out and we have the new dressing in place.  It shouldn’t take long, but it’s really important that you hold still and don’t breathe until the doctor tells you to, okay?”

“Okay,” Changkyun replied, doing exactly as he was told.

The nurse was right when she said that it wouldn’t take long;  once the doctor came in and finished washing his hands and getting everything prepared, it took him less than a minute to remove the tube and get the new bandage in place.  “Right… all done.  We’re going to have you stay here for a little while, just to make sure there are no complications, but we can have your Alpha come sit with you while you wait.  Still feeling okay?”

“I feel fine,” Changkyun replied, smiling as he looked over at the fresh bandage on his arm.

“Good.  This dressing will need to stay in place for the next 48 hours or so… if you can keep it on for 72, that would be better,” the doctor replied.  “No heavy lifting or exercise for a few days, either.  Nothing that’s going to require you to move that arm excessively.  We’ll give you some paperwork with the instructions written out, too, to share with the pack.”

“But I’m okay to go out, right?  As long as I’m careful?” Changkyun asked.

The doctor smiled.  “As long as you’re feeling well, you’re cleared to do normal day to day activities that aren’t too strenuous,” he replied.  “I’m sure you’re anxious to get out of the house and get back to a relatively normal life.  You just need to pay attention to what your body is telling you - if you get tired or sore, you should go home and rest.  Take proper care of yourself.”

“I can do that,” Changkyun replied, smiling.

The nurse came back into the room with Hoseok a moment later, motioning for the Alpha to have a seat in a chair next to the bed.  “I have to go check on a few other patients, but the nurses will be in and out periodically to check on you.  If everything is still looking good in an hour or so, we’ll be ready to send you home.  One of the nurses will bring in some paperwork in a few minutes, so that you know what to look out for and how to take care of the insertion site as it’s healing.”

Changkyun smiled as Hoseok took his right hand, squeezing it gently as the doctor and nurse left the two of them alone.  “You’re doing okay?”

“I’m fine, _hyung_.  It didn’t even hurt… it just felt kind of weird,” Changkyun replied.  “The nurse mentioned something about ibuprofen if it does get sore, but I don’t even think I’ll need it…”

“We’ll keep an eye on your pain, then,” Hoseok replied.  “In any case, we can at least give you some tonight before bed, so that any pain or soreness won’t keep you awake.”

Changkyun nodded.  “I’m okay with that.  We’re still going to go get chicken, right?”

“Of course we are, pup.  You did so well, there’s no way I’m going to go back on my promise to feed you whatever you want for lunch,” Hoseok replied.  Changkyun closed his eyes as the man leaned in to press a kiss against his forehead again.  “We need to get some meat on your bones before you go into heat…”

“You’ll be there, right?  When the time comes, you’ll stay with me if that’s what I want?”

“Of course, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Hoseok replied, stroking a hand through his hair.  “All we want is for you to feel safe and supported.  We’ll do whatever makes you comfortable.”

“Thank you, _hyung_.”

“Get some rest, okay?  I’ll wake you up when they clear you to go,” Hoseok commented.

“Will you lay with me, _hyung_?”

“Of course, pup.”


	17. Pack Dinner

Changkyun was exhausted by the time he and Hoseok made their way back into the penthouse apartment.  His arm was a bit sore, but his stomach was full and he was in a good mood despite the way his eyelids felt almost too heavy to keep open.  The Alpha had made good on his promise to buy Changkyun fried chicken for lunch, and they had even made a pit stop at a bookstore on the way home so that Changkyun could get a book to read that Namjoon had recommended for him.

“ _Yah_!  Shin Hoseok, you had better have a good explanation as to why the two of you were so late getting back from the doctor’s, and why you haven’t been answering your phone!”  Changkyun couldn’t help wincing slightly at the way Kihyun yelled at the Alpha, feeling guilty over the fact that the Alpha had gotten into trouble with the Beta because of him.

“I promised Changkyun- _ah_ that I would buy him whatever he wanted to eat after the doctor took out his PICC line,” Hoseok replied, taking the jacket Changkyun had been wearing to hang it up by the door.  “My phone didn’t go off while we were out… it was acting up yesterday, too.  I guess I’m going to need to go get it looked at tomorrow…”

“You could have at least texted someone to let us know that the two of you were going to be out all afternoon… I was worried that something had gone wrong…” Kihyun began.

“I would have called you if something was wrong, Kihyun- _ah_ ,” Hoseok reminded him.  Changkyun just watched as the Alpha shook his head, smiling at the smaller Beta.  “You worry too much, you know.  I’m perfectly capable of watching over our _maknae_ without your help.  He’s safe and happy, see?”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you… but really, with everything that’s happened…” Kihyun began.

“ _Yah_ … stop worrying before you give yourself an ulcer!”

“I really am fine, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun added, once Kihyun had been stopped mid-rant by Hoseok’s words.  “My arm’s a little sore and I’m tired, but it isn’t a problem, I promise.”

“Why is your arm sore?” Kihyun asked.  Changkyun could hear the panicked tone beginning again.

“It’s normal… the paperwork we got at the doctor’s office said that a little soreness after removal was normal, and that as long as it isn’t seriously painful or showing signs of infection, it isn’t a big deal.  We’re supposed to give him ibuprofen if he needs it, and he isn’t allowed to remove the bandage from his arm for 72 hours.  But as long as he doesn’t overdo things, he should be fine in a few days.”

Changkyun watched as Kihyun quickly digested the information, before nodding and motioning for Changkyun to follow him into the kitchen.  “We’ll get you some ibuprofen then… how bad is the pain?  Do you think you need two?”

“I think just one will be fine, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied.  “I can always take more later if that isn’t enough.”

“Okay.  We’ll get you some ibuprofen, and then I want you to go sit down and get some rest.  The heaviest thing you’re allowed to lift tonight is the television remote,” Kihyun commented.

“Can we compromise on that so I can read the book Hoseok- _hyung_ bought for me?” Changkyun asked, holding up the bag he’d been carrying in his right hand.  “It isn’t that big…”

Kihyun smiled, shaking his head.  “Okay, okay… the book is the heaviest thing you’re allowed to lift.  But you are _not_ going to start helping with the dishes like you promised until that arm is healed.”

Changkyun nodded.  “I understand.”

“Good.”  Changkyun watched as the Beta pulled out the pack’s box of medications, before filling a glass with water from the filter in the refrigerator and passing it to him while Kihyun himself got out the desired medication.  “If you aren’t feeling better in an hour or so, let me know and we’ll get more for you to take.”

Changkyun nodded his assent to the man’s request, before quickly swallowing the pill down and chasing it with some water.

Settling down into the couch with his book was a nice feeling, and Changkyun found himself easily getting caught up in the story to the point that he completely forgot that he was tired.  Changkyun was halfway through the book before he even realized it, and it wasn’t until he felt Jooheon cuddling up next to him that he realized where he was.  “Good book?” the Omega asked, when Changkyun finally managed to put it down at a good stopping point.

“It’s amazing,” Changkyun replied, smiling up at him.  “Namjoon- _hyung_ was right when he said he thought I would enjoy it.”

“Do you mind if I borrow it when you’re done, then?” Jooheon asked.  “You literally didn’t move for over an hour other than to turn the page… it must be _really_ good.”

Changkyun nodded, smiling at his _hyung_.  “Okay.  Sure.”

“I’m actually here now to tell you that Kihyun- _hyung_ is making spicy cold noodles for dinner, and he wanted to make sure your stomach was feeling up to them,” Jooheon commented. 

“My stomach is fine,” Changkyun replied.  “I actually feel really good today.  My arm is a little sore, but it isn’t that bad.  And I feel a lot better than I have in a while.”

“Good… I hate seeing you feeling so crummy all the time.”  Jooheon ruffled his hair slightly, before standing up and starting towards the kitchen.  “I’ll tell Kihyun- _ah_ that you’re okay with the cold noodles.  Have fun reading your book!”

Changkyun shook his head, before going back to the book in his hands to continue reading.

Changkyun didn’t even realize that he was finishing the book until he’d finished the final page, something that he hadn’t expected to do.  While Changkyun had always enjoyed reading when he was in school, he hadn’t really been given the opportunity to do much reading beyond the signs that were hung up in the Training Center.  The fact that he was still a fairly quick reader despite having years without practice surprised him somewhat.

“How’s the book?”  Changkyun looked up at the sound of Hoseok’s voice, smiling at the man.

“It was good…”

“Surely you’re not finished…” Hoseok began.  Changkyun couldn’t help blushing slightly at the fact that he most definitely _was_ finished reading the entire book.  “That was fast… maybe we should have gotten you more than one book…”

“I can go to the library soon… it’ll be okay,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.  “I shouldn’t have read so fast.  It was just too good to put down…”

Hoseok smiled at him.  “I’ll make sure that someone can take you to the library soon… I don’t know what everyone’s schedules look like for the next couple of days, but I’m sure someone will be able to find some time to take you down there and help you sort out the library card process.”

“Thank you, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, smiling again.

“Now come on… Kihyun- _ah_ has dinner ready, and he wants to make sure that you get something to eat before you fall asleep on us.”

Changkyun nodded, putting his book down on the arm of the couch before following the Alpha into the dining room and taking his usual seat at the table with the rest of the pack.  Kihyun was quick to serve him a bowl just like everyone else’s, smiling as Changkyun looked at the dish, obviously hungry despite the fact that Hoseok had fed him lunch that afternoon.  “Go ahead and eat, Changkyun- _ah_.  You look like you’re about to starve…”

“Thank you, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, immediately starting to eat with the Beta’s blessing.  The noodles were delicious - something that Changkyun hadn’t ever eaten before - and he was halfway done with his bowl before he really tuned into the conversation happening around him.

“… must really like cold spicy noodles,” Jooheon commented.  Changkyun looked up, noodles still hanging out of his mouth as he looked up to find out what they were talking about.  The whole group was smiling, watching him as he ate.  Changkyun slurped up the rest of his noodles, chewing and swallowing.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, confused.

“No… we just find it amusing that you like the noodles so much,” Kihyun replied.  “It’s nice to see you actually hungry for a change… I was worried that the antibiotics were going to screw up your stomach for a lot longer than that, and we were going to be fighting to keep you from losing weight for a long time…”

Changkyun couldn’t help blushing slightly.  “The noodles are really good, _hyung_ … I couldn’t help myself.  I’m sorry if I’m being rude.”

“You aren’t being rude,” Hyunwoo reassured him, shaking his head.  “It really is nice to see you eating a reasonable amount of food for a change… and I’m sure we’ll all be glad to see you gain a few pounds and start looking healthy.  All we want is for you to be happy and healthy.  Please, go ahead and eat all you want.”

Changkyun went back to his bowl, although he made a conscious effort to be a bit less messy and over-excited about eating as he continued.  While the members of the pack were kind to him and didn’t seem to mind, he felt a bit guilty about the fact that he’d drawn so much attention to himself with the way he was eating.  The rest of the group went back to eating as well, and eventually Changkyun found himself distracted by the food again.

By the time his bowl was empty, Changkyun was stuffed.  While it hadn’t been an excessively large amount of food, it was more than he had been eating prior to that day and Changkyun could feel his stomach stretching to accommodate everything he’d eaten.  He leaned back in his seat, watching as the members of the pack continued their own meals and conversations.  His full stomach definitely made his earlier tiredness come back in full force, and Changkyun could feel his eyelids growing heavy again.

Eventually, Changkyun felt someone stroking a hand through his hair.  “Poor pup is so exhausted he fell asleep at the table…” Hoseok commented softly.

“ _Aigoo_ … he’s so adorable,” Minhyuk replied.  “Was it bad, getting the line out?”

“I don’t know… I wasn’t allowed in the room, because of the risk of infection,” Hoseok answered.  “He said that it didn’t even hurt, it just felt funny.  And his primary concern was whether or not I was going to keep my promise of taking him to get fried chicken for lunch and if we could go to the library.”

Changkyun could hear the sound of someone chuckling at the idea.  “He’s adorable…”

“I’m going to put him to bed… would you mind opening the door for me?” Hoseok asked.  Changkyun felt the Alpha carefully lifting him out of his seat at the table, carefully carrying him upstairs and into his bedroom.

“Stay with me, _hyung_?”  Changkyun barely managed to whisper out the question as Hoseok was carefully putting him down in his own bed.

Hoseok chuckled slightly at the question, pressing a kiss against Changkyun’s forehead.  “For a little while.  But I’m not going to be able to stay all night, because we don’t want to kick you into your first heat while you’re still on the heat suppressant medication.”

“Just until I go to sleep, _hyung_ … just for a little while.”


	18. Chance Encounter

Things settled into a routine for Changkyun after the PICC line was removed; he spent his mornings with Namjoon, working on trying to catch up on his studies, and then had his afternoons free for whatever he wanted to do.  While he’d started to venture out into the neighborhood on his own as soon as his arm had healed from having the line out, Changkyun had been careful to make sure that he checked in with everyone through a group chat that he’d been added into as soon as Hyunwoo had given him a phone for communication purposes.  Which of course meant that it was easy for any of them to come find him if they so chose.

“Good book?”  Changkyun looked up at Hyungwon’s question, smiling as the Beta sat down in the chair across from him and passed him a fresh Americano to replace the one that had been sitting there next to his small stack of library books for a while.

“It is.  It’s all about the different things that give people an advantage at things like sports or academics…” Changkyun began, even as he realized that Hyungwon was shooting him an amused smirk.  “I’m being a geek again…” Changkyun stated, blushing slightly.

“It’s adorable,” Hyungwon replied.  “You shouldn’t be ashamed to admit that you’re excited by something like that.  It’s part of who you are, and it’s endearing.”

“I don’t want to bore you…” Changkyun began.

“You aren’t,” Hyungwon replied, shaking his head.  “Do you want to stay here and read for a bit longer, or do you want to go with me to do some shopping?  I know that Kihyun- _hyung_ bought you some clothes while you were sick, but I’m sure you would probably like something that’s your own style for a change…”

“You don’t have to buy me things, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun began.

“Before you even start protesting about the money, I’ve already cleared it with Hyunwoo- _hyung_.  We all want you to be comfortable and feel like you belong with us… even if you choose to go elsewhere in a few months,” Hyungwon interrupted.  “We just want you to have a decent start, no matter what you decide to do in the future.  You’re at a massive disadvantage from having been in an orphanage or the Training Center your whole life.  We care about you.”

Changkyun couldn’t help smiling, putting a bookmark into this book and setting it on the stack next to his original coffee.  “Thank you, _hyung_.”

“C’mon.  Let’s at least go find you some decent jeans that actually fit properly.”  Changkyun nodded, putting his books in a bag that he’d taken with him to the library and picking up his new coffee as the Beta grabbed his trash and threw away the remains of the watered-down coffee he’d first purchased.

Changkyun wasn’t sure what he expected when he agreed to go shopping with Hyungwon, but it certainly wasn’t three hours of trying on just about every pair of jeans in Hyungwon’s favorite stores before the Beta was finally satisfied with the two pairs he’d picked out for Changkyun.  The Beta only stopped guiding him through stores when Changkyun mentioned being hungry and tired, which prompted Hyungwon to lead him to the mall’s food court and station him at a table while he went to order their food.  Although Changkyun had some money, the Beta had insisted that he was going to treat Changkyun to a meal as well as the new clothes.

“What’s a pretty little Omega like you doing out here alone?”  Changkyun looked up from his phone at the question, surprised by the tall, broad Alpha standing next to his table.  There was something about the man’s presence that unsettled Changkyun, and he could feel himself trying to shrink away from the man before he even realized it was happening. 

The Alpha reached out a hand towards him, but his hand was stopped by someone else grabbing his wrist.  “He’s _not_.”  Although Changkyun didn’t recognize the younger Alpha standing next to the man, he was thankful for his presence when Hyungwon wasn’t back at the table yet.  “He’s clearly not comfortable, so I suggest you walk away before we have to escalate this situation.”

 “I don’t see a claim on him…” the first Alpha commented.  Changkyun could see the second Alpha’s grip tightening around the first man’s wrist.  “If he’s yours, I’d suggest you claim him sooner rather than later.  Courtships are outdated - and someone else will claim him real fast if you keep leaving him alone like this…”

“Omegas are human beings - not property.”  Changkyun was thankful when he saw Hyungwon hurrying their way with a tray of food.  “Get out of here.”

The first Alpha looked at Changkyun for a moment, before ripping his hand away from the second Alpha’s grip and turning to walk away.  Before the second Alpha could even turn around, Hyungwon was putting the tray down at their table.  “What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry… I saw that guy hassling him, and I couldn’t just leave it alone,” the second Alpha commented, backing away slightly and turning to Changkyun.  “You really looked upset… I hope you don’t mind…”

“No… no, thank you,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.

“Really, thank you,” Hyungwon added, smiling at the Alpha.  “My name is Chae Hyungwon, and this is my friend Changkyun- _ah_.”

“It’s nice to meet you Hyungwon- _ssi_.  Changkyun- _ssi_.”  The Alpha bowed slightly at his introduction.  “I’m Jeon Jeongguk.”

“Do you want to join us for dinner, Jeongguk- _ssi_?” Changkyun asked.

The Alpha smiled, shaking his head.  “No, thank you… I’m supposed to be meeting the pack I’m planning on joining here for a movie night, to celebrate the end of the semester.  Namjoon- _hyung_ promised to buy all of us dinner for finishing our exams,” Jeongguk replied, before glancing down at his phone as it buzzed.  “It was nice to meet you both, but I need to go - they’re waiting for me…”

“Thank you again, Jeongguk- _ssi_ ,” Hyungwon replied.

“ _Yah_ … Jeon Jeongguk- _ah_ , you aren’t leaving us for a new pack, are you?”  Changkyun was surprised by the Omega that hurried up to his savior, wrapping him in a backhug with a large smile on his face.  The newcomer’s hair was dyed blonde, and his small frame was barely large enough for his chin to rest on Jeongguk’s shoulder.

“No, _hyung_ … I was just talking to them,” Jeongguk replied, suddenly much more awkward than he had been a moment earlier.

“I’m teasing you, Jeongguk- _ah_.  Relax.  You’re allowed to talk to people from other packs.”  Changkyun watched as the boy relaxed visibly.  “C’mon… Namjoon- _hyung_ is buying our tickets now, and if we don’t hurry we’ll miss out on getting him to buy us the best candy.”

Jeongguk smiled, before turning back to Changkyun and Hyungwon for a moment.  “It was nice to meet you, Hyungwon- _ssi_ , Changkyun- _ssi_.  I’ll see you around,” Jeongguk commented, before he started to turn and let his Omega _hyung_ lead him away.  But the Omega didn’t move, looking at Changkyun curiously.

“Changkyun- _ssi_?  You’re one of Namjoon- _hyung_ ’s students, aren’t you?” the Omega asked.

“You’re in Namjoon- _hyung_ ’s pack?” Changkyun asked, nodding in response to the other Omega’s question.

The other Omega smiled widely.  “I’m Park Jimin… it’s nice to finally put a face with the name.  Namjoon- _hyung_ talks about you a lot - he’s ridiculously proud of all the progress you’ve been making…”  Changkyun couldn’t help blushing slightly at the man’s words.  “Oh gosh… I didn’t mean to embarrass you.  It’s just really nice to see him excited about a student for a change.  He mostly gets hired by obsessive parents whose kids suck at academics and don’t really care about school - he really enjoys getting to work with you in the mornings, because you actually _care_ about your education.”

“Jiminie, Jeongguk- _ah_ … what’s taking so long?”  Changkyun turned as he heard Namjoon’s voice approaching, smiling at the older man.  “Hey, Changkyun- _ah_ … I hope these guys weren’t bothering you…”

“No, _hyung_ … it’s fine,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.  “We should let you guys get to your movie… it was nice to meet you both, Jimin- _ssi_ , Jeongguk- _ssi_.”

“It was nice to meet you, Changkyun- _ssi_ ,” Jimin replied, waving at him as the group left him alone with Hyungwon again.

“They seem nice,” Hyungwon commented.

Changkyun nodded, smiling as Hyungwon put a plate down in front of him along with a set of chopsticks.  “I’ve never met anyone from Namjoon- _hyung_ ’s pack before,” Changkyun replied.

It wasn’t until Changkyun saw Hyungwon visibly relax that he realized that the man had been worried about his reaction to meeting his tutor’s pack.  “You were worried…” Changkyun began.

“You haven’t been around other packs all that much…” Hyungwon began.  Changkyun couldn’t help smiling at the Beta’s response.  “You still have to choose a pack at some point.  And we don’t want you to feel as though you _have_ to choose us…”

“ _Hyung_ … it’s okay for you to admit that you don’t like the idea of me leaving to join a different pack,” Changkyun replied.  “Honestly, I haven’t really thought that much about it… I’m really happy living with all of you.  I don’t know how I’ll feel once I’ve had to deal with my first heat, but I don’t want to leave right now.”


	19. Changes

Changkyun wasn’t sure what was going on when he woke up, but he didn’t like it much.  His back was sore, and the cramps low in his abdomen were almost impossible to ignore.  While none of the pain was severe, he was definitely uncomfortable enough that he couldn’t help noticing what was going on.  Getting out of bed didn’t particularly help, although it didn’t make the discomfort any worse, either.  All Changkyun could think about was the fact that he wanted _someone_ to comfort him, which meant that he would have to go downstairs and find someone.  Typically, the only person who slept later than Changkyun was Minhyuk - and the elder Omega had the good excuse of having trouble getting to sleep due to the size of his growing belly.

The moment Changkyun arrived in the kitchen, Kihyun turned to look at him in surprise.  “ _Aish_ … sit down, Changkyun- _ah_.  I’ll get you something for the pain, and then you need to eat something…”

Changkyun couldn’t help being confused, unsure of how the Beta had immediately known what was going on before he’d even said anything.  “How did you know…?”

“You smell like pre-heat… I’ve lived with Omegas long enough to recognize the scent without having to ask,” Kihyun replied.  “How long have you been off the suppressants?”

“Three days…” Changkyun answered, watching as the Beta poured a glass of water before going into the cabinet where they kept his vitamins and the other medications the pack used.  It didn’t take long for Kihyun to have a handful of pills ready for Changkyun - both his usual vitamins, as well as two ibuprofen and a couple of other pills that Changkyun didn’t recognize.  “What are the new ones?”

“This is the birth control Minhyuk- _ah_ used before he decided that he was ready to try for a litter of pups.  And this one’s a muscle relaxer… Minhyuk- _ah_ and Jooheon- _ah_ both use them when they go into heat, because the ibuprofen alone doesn’t quite cut it,” Kihyun explained, placing the pills in Changkyun’s palm.  “You’re going to be pretty uncomfortable today… but the medicine will help, and we’ll keep giving it to you until the pain goes away when your heat starts.  If we’re lucky, you won’t fully go into heat until sometime tomorrow…”

Changkyun nodded, taking the pills as Kihyun moved to fix him something to eat.  The Beta was back almost immediately with a bowl of rice, before he started working on something else.  “Where is everyone else?” Changkyun asked.  He had hoped to find someone to cuddle with him, but the knowledge that Changkyun was going into heat seemed to send Kihyun into a frenzy of activity that Changkyun wasn’t sure that he wanted to interrupt.

“Minhyuk- _ah_ is still asleep.  Hyungwon- _ah_ and Jooheon- _ah_ are both in class, and the Alphas are at the company working,” Kihyun replied.  “I’ll obviously call them to come back if your pre-heat is progressing too quickly, but for now you’ll be better off with just having the rest of us around.  Once you’ve eaten, you can go cuddle with Minhyuk until he wakes up, while I make sure everything in the nest is clean and ready for you to use it.”

“But Minhyuk- _hyung_ was sleeping in the nest…” Changkyun began.

“He moved back into his own room once you came off the suppressants, because we all knew this was coming,” Kihyun replied.  “Besides, he’s gotten over the morning sickness now, and he doesn’t feel the need to have someone with him all night any more.  Although I know that he’ll be more than happy to wake up with someone he can cuddle, because he’s always been big on cuddling.”

Changkyun nodded, starting to eat from the bowl of rice as Kihyun continued working.  It only took a few moments for a cup of hot tea to be placed next to his bowl, and not long after that Kihyun was serving up some _gyeranmari_ in another dish next to the rice.  “Thank you, _hyung_.”

“I can make something else, if you’re still hungry when you finish that,” Kihyun commented, as he put the dirty dishes into the sink.  “I’m going to go make sure there are clean sheets on the bed in the nest… don’t worry about the dishes, okay?  I’ll take care of everything when I get back.”

The food was good, and Changkyun found it easy to fill his stomach to the point that he was a little uncomfortable.  While he felt guilty about leaving the dishes for Kihyun to clean up, the medications had yet to kick in and his back was still hurting somewhat as he stood up and made his way back upstairs and into Minhyuk’s bedroom.

The elder Omega was still asleep, curled up on his side with pillows tucked into several different places around his body with the intention of keeping him as comfortable as possible given the fact that he was already beginning to visibly show that he was pregnant.  In the weeks since Changkyun arrived there had been a marked change in the elder’s body, and Changkyun couldn’t help feeling in awe at the amazing thing Minhyuk’s body was doing.

Changkyun placed a hand against the Omega’s belly, wondering whether or not the pups inside were big enough for him to feel it if they moved as Minhyuk opened his eyes.  “I would normally be concerned to wake up with you in my room… but it seems like you’re about to go into heat, so I’m assuming that Kihyun- _ah_ sent you to cuddle with me while he runs around like a crazy person to get everything ready?”

“Something like that,” Changkyun replied with a smile on his face, as he laid down next to the elder and shifted a bit so that he could be as close as possible despite the pillows.

“Did he give you medication for the cramps?” Minhyuk asked.  Changkyun nodded as the elder reached out a hand to gently massage Changkyun’s lower belly, easing the ache that had settled in before he’d woken up that morning.  While it certainly didn’t take the pain away completely, it was at least an improvement over his previous state.  “Good… and I’m going to also assume that he fed you and made you take your vitamins as well, because he’s definitely _not_ going to let you forget that on a day like today.  Which means that all you need right now is to be cuddled until you either need another dose or the pain begins to calm down as your body starts to go into the heat itself.”

“I like the sound of that,” Changkyun replied.

Minhyuk chuckled at the answer.  “Of course you do… what Omega in their right mind _wouldn’t_ want to spend the day cuddling and being doted upon?”  Changkyun hummed slightly as the elder Omega moved the pillows around so that they could cuddle a bit easier, even though Changkyun couldn’t help worrying that the elder was likely less comfortable.  But the elder simply moved Changkyun into a comfortable position and began to rub his lower back with a free hand.  “Just relax… getting some extra rest will do you good, because your body is about to go through a lot of stress that it isn’t used to dealing with, and it’s going to be more difficult for you than it usually is since you haven’t done this before.”

“Is it going to be bad?” Changkyun asked softly.

“It depends on a lot of factors… you’ve had a little experience now with sex, so hopefully you’ll feel comfortable when the time comes with letting us know what you’re comfortable with and what you want for us to do to help you,” Minhyuk replied.  “I’m not going to lie and tell you that everything about being in heat is all sunshine and roses.  But as long as you’re being taken care of, it can be kind of fun.  And I can promise you, we are going to do everything we can to make sure you’re comfortable over the next couple of days.”

Changkyun nodded, mentally trying to recall everything that he’d been taught about heats up until that point.  “And it’s going to be longer than a normal heat because it’s my first time and it’s so late,” Changkyun added.

“A little, yes.  Your body won’t let it go on for longer than you’re capable of handling that stress, but it is going to be pushed further this time around than it probably ever will be again unless you decide to do something crazy like going back on the heat suppressants without taking appropriate breaks.  Which is _not_ going to happen as long as you’re here, by the way.  We’re 100% against suppressants in healthy Omegas, because they just aren’t necessary for most of us.”

“I don’t want to go back onto the suppressants,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.  “I don’t want to feel that way again… not after what’s happened to my body because of them…”

Minhyuk smiled, leaning in to press a soft kiss against Changkyun’s lips.  “I’m glad to hear that.  I really didn’t want this to turn into an argument,” Minhyuk replied.  “I do need to get up and get some breakfast and take my vitamins… but I’m going to give you my heating pad, because it’ll help with the cramps when I’m not here.  And I’ll be back as soon as I’m done, okay, pup?”  Changkyun nodded in response to the elder’s question, closing his eyes and fighting back a whimper as the man got up and dug through the drawer in his nightstand for a moment.  Changkyun didn’t open his eyes until he felt Minhyuk carefully lifting his shirt, placing something that was covered in fabric over his belly with a slight smile.  “That’ll warm up pretty quickly.  If it gets too warm, you can use the controls to turn it down a little.  You can move it to your back if that pain’s worse, or whatever you need to do to feel better.”

“Thank you, _hyung_.”  Changkyun closed his eyes again as the man pressed another kiss against his forehead.

With the warmth of the heating pad, it was easy to fall asleep again.  Changkyun’s cramps and back pain were still there, but they began to lessen fairly quickly thanks to the medication and the heating pad.  By the time he woke up again, Minhyuk was back and the heating pad was gone, replaced with the elder omega’s hands massaging small circles against his lower back.  “Have a nice nap?”

“Mhm…” Changkyun replied, snuggling a bit closer to the elder Omega so that he could rest a hand against the swell of Minhyuk’s belly.  “Can you feel the pups moving yet?”

“Not yet… it’s a little too early, still,” Minhyuk replied.  “They told me that most of the time, it’s closer to halfway through the pregnancy.  So I’m still a little more than six weeks away from being able to feel them… and it’ll take another week or so after that before anyone else will be able to feel them kicking and moving around in there.”

Changkyun nodded, still leaving his hand on his _hyung_ ’s belly.  “It’s so amazing…”

Minhyuk chuckled slightly.  “It’s adorable how in awe you are of all of this.  Trust me, it isn’t nearly as awesome and amazing when you’re dealing with morning sickness and stretch marks and all of that,” he replied.  “I might feel differently if I was only carrying one pup, because I probably wouldn’t be as uncomfortable as I have been.  But right now, the only reason I’m okay with being pregnant is because I know the end result is going to be worth it.”

“Is it really that bad?” Changkyun asked.

“I lost almost ten pounds during the first trimester because of the morning sickness.  Which is definitely a bad thing, because I didn’t really have much weight to lose,” Minhyuk replied.  “When your skin starts to stretch to accommodate the pups, it itches like crazy.  I feel like I’m constantly putting lotion and cream all over my belly to make it stop itching, but I know that the stretch marks are going to happen one way or another.  And don’t even get me started about constantly having to pee… speaking of which, I should probably go take care of that, because apparently just _mentioning_ going to the bathroom makes me need to pee again…”

Changkyun couldn’t help chuckling slightly as Minhyuk got up, heading into the bathroom to do what he’d talked about.  It didn’t take the elder long to finish what he was doing and come back, but Changkyun’s cramps were already back by the time Minhyuk was crawling back into the bed with him.  “Is it going to get worse every time I’m left alone, even for a few minutes?” Changkyun asked, whimpering slightly as Minhyuk climbed back in with him and started to massage his belly again.

“During the pre-heat phase, yes.  Once you’re actually in heat, we won’t leave you alone unless that’s something you _want_ us to do,” Minhyuk replied.  “I won’t really be able to be in the room much, because of the pups, but someone will be in there with you constantly.  It would be detrimental to your health for you to be alone when you’re in the midst of a heat… Omegas don’t handle abandonment well when they’ve become attached to someone or a group of people.  It’s part of the reason Training Centers discourage attachments, because they intend for you to leave and become attached to the Alpha that takes you in whether they’re a good person or not.  You’re so starved for connections by the time you’re out of places like that…”

Changkyun couldn’t help feeling slightly sick at the mention of the Training Center.  The knowledge that the whole program had been designed so that he would form attachments with whatever Alpha chose to ‘rescue’ him from that place was disturbing, and Changkyun wasn’t sure how to deal with that information.  “I wish we didn’t have to talk about that…”

“Okay… we’ll leave it alone,” Minyuk replied.

“Do you think that’s why I’m attached to all of you?” Changkyun asked, after a moment of silence.  He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to ask that question, when he’d only just asked Minhyuk to leave the topic alone.  But something about the idea was eating at him, and Changkyun felt the need to _know_ that his _hyungs_ didn’t just assume that he was attached to them because of something that was beyond everyone’s control.

Minhyuk sighed, moving one of his hands to stroke through Changkyun’s hair.  “Do _you_ think that’s what made you feel attached to us?”

“I don’t know… “ Changkyun began.

Changkyun was surprised when Minhyuk leaned in, pressing a kiss against his lips.  “We care about you, pup.  We want to keep you safe, and we want you to know that you can trust us.  If that means you end up feeling attached to us, and you want to stay with us, then we’ll be more than happy to accept you into our pack and love you.  But if you decide that our pack isn’t the right one for you, we’ll let you move on and do whatever we can to help you figure out what’s right for you.”

 


	20. Anticipation

Although Changkyun’s symptoms had lessened dramatically while he had been cuddling with Minhyuk in the elder Omega’s room, within a few hours they were back with a vengeance despite Minhyuk’s near-constant attention during the morning.Even adding back the heating pad didn’t seem to be doing anything to help his current situation, as the cramps began to intensify again.Changkyun could tell that he was starting to run a fever, given the way his body was beginning to shiver and break out in a cold sweat.It was uncomfortable, and Changkyun couldn’t help whimpering slightly at the sensations.

“I’m going to get Kihyun- _ah_ to bring you some more medicine…” Minhyuk began, stroking a hand through Changkyun’s hair.“ _Yah_ … you shouldn’t be starting to run a fever yet…”

Changkyun could see the elder Omega’s concern, which worried him.“Is that bad?”

“It means that you’re closer to being in heat than we thought… Kihyun- _ah_ is probably going to want to feed you again, since we’re looking at a couple of hours, tops, before you go into heat at this point,” Minhyuk replied.“It isn’t the end of the world, but it’s going to make things a little more complicated while we’re trying to organize everything to make sure you’re taken care of throughout the whole of your heat.”

The elder Omega wasn’t gone for very long, returning with a bowl of rice and a spoon.“Kihyun- _ah_ said for you to eat this now, so that you have something in your stomach when he gets here with the medication.He’s going to bring you some kimchi stew, too… he has to heat it up a little, because you were asleep when he finished it earlier.But he won’t be long.”

Changkyun nodded, forcing himself to sit up and taking the bowl and spoon from Minhyuk.“Thank you, _hyung_ ,” he replied, dutifully trying to eat at least a little bit of the rice despite the fact that he wasn’t sure his stomach would be able to handle anything with all of the cramps.Still, he’d managed to eat about half the bowl when Kihyun came into the room with a tray in hand.

“Minhyuk- _ah_ said that you’re starting to run a fever…” Kihyun began, as he walked over to the bed and put the tray down in front of Changkyun.“I’m going to check your temperature, to give us a bit better of an idea of when your heat might start…”

“Okay,” Changkyun replied, letting the man put the thermometer into his ear again.It didn’t take long, and Changkyun could see from the look on Kihyun’s face that he was a bit concerned by what he was seeing.“Is it bad?”

“It’s a little higher than I expected it to be… you need to try and eat as much of that as possible, okay?I’m going to go call and see if I can get either Hyunwoo- _hyung_ or Hoseok- _ah_ back here as soon as possible, so that you have an Alpha ready to help you as soon as your heat kicks in.”Changkyun nodded, going back to eating the food Minhyuk and Kihyun had brought him.Changkyun wanted to do what they asked; he knew that the two of them were trying to look out for his best interests, and they both knew far better than he did what his body was going to be going through in a few hours.

Changkyun managed to get most of the food down, before Minhyuk handed him the little paper cup that contained the pills he’d been promised when his symptoms had first started to pick up again.“Go ahead and take these… even if it’s only going to be a couple of hours, they’ll help you relax until things get started…”Changkyun nodded, swallowing the pills down quickly and chasing them with the bottle of water that Kihyun had left on the tray for him.“Drink all of that… we’re going to make sure that you drink plenty of water during everything, but you need to make sure that you’re hydrated beforehand, too.”

“Why does it have to be so uncomfortable?” Changkyun asked, shifting slightly in the bed in an attempt at finding a more comfortable position while he waited out the rest of his pre-heat phase.

“It’s just your body preparing itself to get through the heat and potentially support a pup or two,” Minhyuk replied.“The chances of you conceiving during this heat are pretty slim, because you’re still so far underweight and things are progressing too quickly for your body to really be properly prepared for all of that.But your body is always going to go through this process, because one day you _will_ have a heat in which you’re actually able to conceive.And the whole point of heats is to create pups.The good sex is just a perk.”

Changkyun couldn’t help chuckling slightly at the elder Omega’s frankness.“It’s going to be that good?”

“It’s going to be so much better than it was when we fooled around… an Alpha’s cock is a million times better than a toy, and everything will be heightened once you’re actually in heat.You’re going to feel everything so much more intensely than you’re used to, and it’s going to be amazing,” Minhyuk replied.“You just have to get through the difficult part, and then everything will be okay.”

“As long as this isn’t going to be going on the whole time,” Changkyun replied.

“If you’re done eating, we should probably go ahead and move you to the nest… you aren’t going to want to do much of anything once your heat kicks in, and I don’t know for sure that one of the Alphas will be back before you’re completely gone,” Minhyuk commented.Changkyun nodded, moving the tray away from his lap as he got up to follow the elder Omega out of the room.Minhyuk put an arm around his waist, guiding him towards the stairs as Kihyun began making his way up them again.

“Hoseok- _hyung_ is on his way home now… he should be back here soon, but he said that you should go ahead and make yourself comfortable in the nest while you’re waiting for him to get here,” Kihyun began.

“I was thinking the same thing… we were headed over there to make sure he was ready when his heat hits,” Minhyuk replied.“He ate most of the food, and he drank the entire bottle of water while you were gone.”

“Good… I’ve got more bottled water and some snacks and things already set up in the nest for later, so all we have to do now is wait it out…”

The nest was a much cozier room than the bedrooms they all actually slept in, which Changkyun found comforting.There was a king sized mattress in the middle of the room, with plenty of pillows and soft blankets for him to cuddle with.“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable… Hoseok- _hyung_ will come straight here when he gets back to make sure you’re okay,” Minhyuk replied, rubbing small circles on his lower back with one hand.“How are you feeling?”

“Still kind of uncomfortable,” Changkyun replied.“It’s better with you here, but I’m still not feeling great.”

“I’m sorry, pup… you’ll feel better soon, though,” Minhyuk replied.“It would be better with an Alpha around, but until one of them can get here I’m the best you’ve got.”

Changkyun nodded, letting his head rest against the elder Omega’s shoulder.“Can we at least lay down… I just want to cuddle for as long as we can right now.”

It didn’t take long for Minhyuk to help guide him into the nest, cuddling up with some of the pillows and soft blankets until they were both warm and comfortable - or at least as comfortable as Changkyun could be, given the fact that the pains weren’t going away as quickly as he would have liked.But Changkyun did his best to relax, and he found himself drifting off in the elder’s arms.

“How’s he doing?”Changkyun didn’t completely open his eyes at the sound of Hoseok’s whisper, but he immediately turned towards the Alpha’s chest and cuddled up against him.Hoseok chuckled slightly, wrapping an arm around Changkyun’s waist that almost immediately calmed the cramps and back pain.“I guess that answers at least part of my question…”

“His fever’s been under control since Kihyun- _ah_ called you… he’s been giving Changkyun- _ah_ the medication he needs to be comfortable, so he should be okay until everything really gets started,” Minhyuk replied.Changkyun felt the man stroking a hand through his hair for a moment, before Changkyun felt the bed shift as Minhyuk got up.“I’ll leave you two alone… I need to go take care of some things, and I’m sure he’ll be fine with you.Just call if you need one of us to come help you with him later, when things get more intense.”

“I think I’ve got it covered… but thanks for the offer,” Hoseok replied.

Changkyun finally forced his eyes open as Minhyuk left the room, looking up at the older man.“You came home for me…”

“Of course, pup… you’re an Omega going into heat, and you need someone to take care of you,” Hoseok replied, leaning down to press a soft kiss against his forehead.“It doesn’t matter that you aren’t part of the pack… you’re staying with us, therefore you might as well be part of the pack.We’re going to take care of you just like we take care of Minhyuk- _ah_ and Jooheon- _ah_ when they’re in heat.Because that’s the right thing to do for someone we care about.”

Changkyun nodded, letting his eyes close again as Hoseok gently massaged his lower back.“Thank you, _hyung_.”

“Try to get some rest, pup.You don’t have much longer, and you’re going to need all the rest you can get.”


	21. Hoseok

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realized that the last chapter was a little mean to those of you who were hoping to see Changkyun's heat this week. So rather than making you wait two weeks, I decided to do a double upload!

Going into heat was a unique experience for Changkyun; the discomfort of the pre-heat stage had dissipated until it was almost non-existent, but suddenly it was as if every single one of his nerve endings was on fire.Changkyun whimpered at the sensation, shifting uncomfortably as he tried to figure out how to make himself more comfortable.

“Hey, hey… you’re okay,” Hoseok commented, moving to gently press a hand against Changkyun’s lower abdomen.“You’re in heat now, aren’t you?”

“I think so…” Changkyun replied.

“Let’s get your clothes off, okay?You’ll be more comfortable,” Hoseok suggested.Changkyun nodded, letting the Alpha help him sit up so that they could remove his shirt.It definitely helped, and he couldn’t wait to get out of the boxer briefs he’d been wearing all day, too.“Slow down, okay?There’s no rush right now… it has to get worse before things get better, and rushing things is only going to make it even more difficult.”

“It’s uncomfortable…” Changkyun replied, pushing down the boxer briefs so that he could get rid of them as quickly as possible.The bedding was significantly better than the clothing he’d been wearing, and Changkyun breathed a sigh of relief at the sensation.“I just needed to get them off… I don’t know why, but it felt like sandpaper…”

“Your skin is more sensitive when you’re in heat,” Hoseok replied, reaching out to stroke a hand through Changkyun’s hair.It felt even more wonderful than it usually did, and Changkyun couldn’t help whimpering softly at the way it made his stomach do flips.“It makes everything that much more intense… you’re going to feel so good when things actually get started…”

Changkyun nodded, letting himself get lost in the sensation of Hoseok’s hands on his skin.Everything was starting to send shockwaves of pleasure through his body, and Changkyun leaned back against the mattress and let Hoseok take complete control of the situation. 

“You’re okay?” Hoseok asked, as his hands moved to Changkyun’s waist. 

Changkyun nodded, not bothering to open his eyes.“I want you…”

“I know, pup… but you aren’t quite ready yet,” Hoseok replied.Changkyun opened his mouth readily when he felt the elder pressing a kiss against his lips, giving the Alpha access to deepen the kiss if he so chose.But Hoseok kept the kiss fairly chaste, moving one of his hands to gently massage the lower part of Changkyun’s abdomen.“You need to start producing slick before we go any further, so that I don’t hurt you.”

Changkyun whimpered softly at the way Hoseok gently pressed his fingers into the soft flesh there, kneading gently.“ _Hyung_ …” Changkyun whined softly, reaching down to try and help.

“ _Yah_ … let me do it, okay?I’m used to this with Minhyuk- _ah_ and Jooheon- _ah_ ,” Hoseok replied.“It takes a little longer to get the slick flowing at the beginning of a heat, but once it starts things will move faster, I promise.”Changkyun nodded, trying to relax and let the elder man work his magic.Changkyun’s body was reacting to the Alpha’s touches, almost as if Hoseok’s hands were setting him on fire, and he couldn’t help whimpering as Hoseok added a bit more pressure in his massage.“You’re doing so well, pup.Just hang in there for a little while longer…”Changkyun closed his eyes as Hoseok leaned in for another kiss, thankful when the older man allowed himself to use tongue and really get into what was going on.

Changkyun was out of breath by the time Hoseok pulled away, and he could feel his body starting to create the necessary fluid as it began to leak out of his entrance.“ _Hyung_ … I’m ready…” Changkyun commented.

“ _Yah_ … let me make sure, okay?You aren’t used to all of this, and I _promise_ that I’m going to take care of you,” Hoseok replied.Changkyun whimpered as the Alpha let his hand shift lower, palming Changkyun’s erection for a brief moment before Hoseok leaned in to press another kiss against his lips.Changkyun hardly noticed the finger that gently breached his entrance as they kissed, until Hoseok curled it in just the right way to hit his prostate.The sensation made him moan loudly into the kiss, arching his back in an attempt at getting more of the sensation.“Relax, baby… I’m going to take good care of you.”

Changkyun did his best to do as he was told, biting down on his bottom lip to try and hold back the noises of pleasure he wanted to make as Hoseok worked in a second, and then a third finger.It felt amazing, and Changkyun wanted more.“Fuck… you’re taking my fingers so well, pup.I’m going to fill you up… you’re going to be so full, and it’s going to feel so good…”Changkyun whimpered at the thought, nodding to indicate that he was ready when he couldn’t really form the words he needed to tell Hoseok what he felt about the Alpha’s praise.Every sensation was just so overwhelming, and Changkyun could barely keep himself focused on staying with the elder man and focusing on what was going on. 

The Alpha carefully removed his fingers, stroking Changkyun’s cock twice before moving to quickly remove his own clothing.The loss of contact was unsettling, and Changkyun couldn’t stop himself from whining in response.“ _Hyung_ …”

“ _Shh_ … I’m still here,” Hoseok replied, moving to place his hand on Changkyun’s chest for a moment once his shirt was gone.“I just need you to hang in there for a minute, so that I can take my pants off.Then I’ll be all yours, okay?”Changkyun nodded, watching the Alpha as he removed his pants, revealing that Hoseok hadn’t been wearing any underwear.

“ _Fuck_ …” Changkyun muttered, feeling his heart speeding up at the sight of the Alpha’s cock.It was definitely larger than the toy Minhyuk had used on him, and all Changkyun could think about was getting it inside of him.

Hoseok seemed amused by Changkyun’s comment, chuckling at the profanity that had come out of Changkyun’s mouth.“ _Yah_ … don’t let the others hear you talking like that,” Hoseok replied, moving to help Changkyun spread his legs and adjust his position so that the Alpha could slip a pillow under Changkyun’s hips.

The head of Hoseok’s cock was pressing against his entrance a moment later, and Changkyun found himself trying to force it through the ring of muscles at his entrance.“Whoa… let me do it, pup,” Hosek replied, gripping Changkyun’s hips tightly enough to stop him from moving.“I know that you need this, but it’s really important that you let me do this properly so that you don’t end up getting hurt.”Changkyun nodded slowly, closing his eyes and gripping at the sheets so that he could try to stop himself from moving as Hoseok slowly pushed the head of his cock past Changkyun’s entrance until his hips were flush against Changkyun’s ass.Just the sensation of being so incredibly _full_ was almost enough to push Changkyun over the edge, but after a moment of Hoseok staying in the same position he was able to relax and avoid giving in to the desire to orgasm so quickly.

“Holy shit… you’re so tight, pup,” Hoseok commented, leaning in to press a kiss against his lips.“You feel so good around my cock… I’m going to love filling you up with my seed, making you feel so good.Make you scream my name when my knot fills your ass to the point that I can’t even move…”

Changkyun couldn’t help the noises he made at the Alpha’s words, closing his eyes and focusing on the sensation as Hoseok slowly slid his cock out of Changkyun’s entrance, before pushing back in slowly, almost as if he was testing whether or not Changkyun was truly ready to take his knot.It was frustrating, when all Changkyun wanted was to be filled completely with the Alpha’s seed.“P-please… I need your knot, Alpha…” Changkyun whimpered.Hoseok was quick to oblige, pulling back again before slamming his hips back against Changkyun’s ass.The Alpha set a brutal pace after that, clearly convinced that Changkyun’s body was ready for this.

It didn’t take long for Changkyun to lose control of his own cock, especially given the way Hoseok managed to slide his cock against Changkyun’s prostate repeatedly.Changkyun could feel the warm liquid squirting out onto his chest and belly, but he was too distracted by the sensation of the Alpha’s knot as it began to expand, catching on the ring of muscle at his entrance with each thrust.Changkyun knew that he was whining out the Alpha’s name with each thrust, but he couldn’t actually hear himself as the Alpha’s knot got too large and Hoseok was forced to stop thrusting. 

The feeling of an actual knot was completely different than the toy Minhyuk had used previously, pressing against his prostate as Hoseok came in hot, thick spurts.Being filled up so completely was too much stimulation, and Changkyun nearly blacked out from the overwhelmingly pleasurable sensations running through his body.As he finally came back to himself, Changkyun could feel Hoseok holding him tightly and stroking through his hair with one hand.“You back with me?” the Alpha asked softly, pressing a soft kiss against his temple.

“Oh my God… _hyung_ …” Changkyun began, completely unsure of how express what he was feeling.He could still feel the Alpha’s knot pressing against his walls, as well as the warmth of his cum filling Changkyun’s ass.But he couldn’t even begin to explain the emotions that were running through his body at that moment.

The Alpha chuckled slightly.“You don’t have to try and explain it… Minhyuk- _ah_ and Jooheon- _ah_ have never been able to explain what it’s like, either,” Hoseok replied, leaning in to kiss him again - this time trailing a few down the side of Changkyun’s neck.“You’re probably going to have another wave as soon as my knot goes down.The first few rounds are pretty intense, but you’ll be okay… I’m here, and I’m going to make sure you’re taken care of.”

Changkyun nodded slowly, closing his eyes and just trying to enjoy the sensations.“It feels so good…” Changkyun muttered softly, whimpering as the Alpha shifted his position slightly to be more comfortable.“Fuck… _hyung_ , it feels so good…”

Hoseok leaned down slightly, pressing a kiss against Changkyun’s lips.“You’re doing so well, pup,” Hoseok commented.“I’m probably going to need some help after this, though… I’ll stay with you, but if it’s okay with you I’m going to call in one of the Betas to join us.My whole goal is to keep you happy.Okay?”

“Okay,” Changkyun replied, nodding and just relaxing so that he could enjoy the whole experience.


	22. Hyunwoo

“How are you feeling, pup?”Changkyun immediately curled into Hyunwoo’s side as the Alpha climbed into the nest with him, seeking out the man’s warmth even though he was thankfully between waves of his heat.The first waves had come faster than Changkyun had expected, to the point that he couldn’t really pinpoint when one wave had ended and the next had begun.It hadn’t been long since his fever had finally broken, and Changkyun had found himself being wrapped up in a warm, fuzzy blanket that felt good against his bare skin once Hoseok had finished cleaning them both up.“You don’t feel that warm…”

“He’s between waves right now,” Hoseok commented softly, running a hand up and down Changkyun’s back as he spoke.Changkyun had thought the Alpha was asleep, but obviously Hyunwoo’s presence had woken him up while Changkyun was distracted by seeking out the elder Alpha’s warmth and comfort.“It’s been a pretty rough day… I lost count of how many waves he went through before he finally settled.If it wasn’t for the Betas and that toy Minhyuk- _ah_ bought, I don’t think I would have gotten him through it…”

Changkyun couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty at Hoseok’s explanation of what had gone on while Hyunwoo had still been at work.While he didn’t completely remember everything that had gone on, he did vaguely remember Hyungwon and Kihyun being with them for a little while to help sate his desire for _more_.

“ _Aish_ … you go rest, okay?I’ve got this covered,” Hyunwoo replied.Changkyun closed his eyes as the Alpha put an arm around him and adjusted Changkyun’s position until they were both comfortable.“That’s okay, right, Changkyun- _ah_?”

“Hyunwoo- _hyung_ will take good care of me,” Changkyun replied, not moving away from the elder.“Thank you for helping me, _hyung_.”

“Any time, pup,” Hoseok replied.Changkyun felt the man pressing a kiss against his temple, before the mattress shifted and Hoseok’s scent was gone.

“Get some rest, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Hyunwoo commented, stroking a hand through Changkyun’s hair.“You’re probably going to have at least a few more days of your heat, and you’re going to need all of the rest you can get between waves.”Changkyun nodded, before relaxing into the Alpha’s arms and allowing himself to drift off to sleep.

Waking up with the obvious symptoms of a fever wasn’t exactly pleasant for Changkyun.While the cramping and pain that had accompanied the pre-heat stage were both gone, Changkyun was still rather uncomfortable with the way everything that touched his skin sent shockwaves through his body.Thankfully, however, Hyunwoo almost immediately seemed to sense that Changkyun was awake and not feeling that well.The Alpha leaned down to press a kiss against his forehead, running a hand through Changkyun’s hair.“Hey, pup… I’m still here, you’re okay,” Hyunwoo commented.“Tell me what you want, okay?What do you want me to do until this wave fully hits?”

Changkyun curled into the man’s touch, grabbing one of the man’s hands and moving it to his lower back.“Will you rub my back?” Changkyun asked, not bothering to open his eyes.

“Of course, pup,” Hyunwoo replied, immediately beginning to comply with Changkyun’s request.The Alpha’s fingers gently massaged the skin there, digging in slightly in a way that made Changkyun moan softly because it felt so good.“Hoseok- _ah_ told me how good you were for him… how you took his knot and the toy Jooheon- _ah_ and Minhyuk- _ah_ bought for you so well.”

“ _Hyung_ …” Changkyun began, pressing back against the elder man’s hand.

“I can’t wait to get my knot in you, pup.I want to fill you up again, make you feel so good…”Changkyun whimpered at the thought, grabbing at the man’s shirt as he felt the blood beginning to rush towards his cock again.Hyunwoo chuckled slightly at Changkyun’s actions, pressing a kiss against his forehead.“Okay, okay… it seems like you’re almost ready for me…”

“I want it, _hyung_ … please…”

Hyunwoo was quick to strip out of his own clothing at Changkyun’s prompting, before pulling the Omega against his chest and leaning in to press a series of soft kisses against his lips as he gently massaged Changkyun’s lower back.“Let’s get you ready, pup… I’m going to make you feel so good…”

Changkyun was on his back a moment later, watching as Hyunwoo pressed kisses down the center of his chest until he reached Changkyun’s cock.The man’s lips were wrapped around the head of his cock a moment later, making Changkyun keen at the sensation.Hyunwoo’s mouth was hot and wet, and the way the Alpha moved his tongue over the head made Changkyun arch his back to try and get more of that sensation.The Alpha quickly moved to take in more of his cock, swallowing around Changkyun’s cock in a way that made him moan loudly as Changkyun finally felt his body beginning to leak slick to indicate that he was ready for something more. 

Hyunwoo seemed to sense that Changkyun’s body was ready, given the fact that the man began to work him open at that point.His fingers were careful, stretching Changkyun’s entrance as he continued to lick and suck at the Omega’s cock.By the time the man had three fingers in him, Changkyun was a whimpering mess underneath the man.“Please, _hyung_ … I need your knot… I need you to fill me up…”

The Alpha pulled back from his attentions to Changkyun’s cock, moving to stroke it a few times with his free hand even as he continued to work on stretching Changkyun open.“Just a little more, pup…”Changkyun was surprised when the man carefully inserted a fourth finger, so that only his thumb wasn’t being used to stretch the muscles there.But it felt good, especially once Changkyun felt the man moving to stroke a finger against his prostate and sending sparks of pleasure shooting through his body.“That’s it… I think you’re ready…”

“Please… please…” Changkyun whimpered, as the Alpha removed his hand and stroked his own cock a couple of times before licking the remaining slick off his fingers and moving to line up his cock with Changkyun’s entrance.

Hyunwoo’s cock was definitely larger than Hoseok’s, and Changkyun could feel his body having to stretch a bit more to accommodate the added girth.The Alpha seemed to sense that it was a little uncomfortable before Changkyun could even really react to the sensation, because he was careful to move slowly and give Changkyun the chance to adjust to the intrusion as he gently bit and sucked a series of small marks along Changkyun’s collarbones.It took some time for Hyunwoo to finally bottom out, but Changkyun relished the feeling of fullness that just the man’s cock pressing against his walls gave him.

“I’m good…” Changkyun commented after a few moments, letting the Alpha know that he was ready for more.All he wanted was for the Alpha to knot him and fill him up with his seed.

Hyunwoo was quick to oblige, pulling back slowly before pushing back into him at a slightly faster pace.It took a few thrusts for the Alpha to build up a pace that had Changkyun moaning as he hit just the right spot with each thrust, and Changkyun could feel his cock starting to leak as well.Hyunwoo’s thrusts were relentless, and Changkyun found his wrists pinned above his head in a show of dominance that was intoxicating.He could hardly breathe as he felt his orgasm building low in his belly before exploding out of him as he screamed out the Alpha’s name.

Despite his own orgasm, Changkyun wasn’t satisfied; he could still feel the need to please his Alpha in his belly despite the overstimulation that he was experiencing every time Hyunwoo’s cock hit his prostate.It took several more thrusts for the Alpha’s knot to begin growing inside him, catching slightly on his rim until it was too large to comfortably move through the muscles of his entrance.Hyunwoo was forced to stop thrusting and simply allow himself to fill Changkyun’s ass with his cum once the knot locked them together.Just like Hyunwoo’s cock, the Alpha’s knot was larger than Hoseok’s had been, stretching Changkyun’s walls to the point that he was constantly pressing against Changkyun’s prostate.It was an overwhelming sensation; the overstimulation had him seeing stars, especially as Changkyun tried not to allow his body to clench around the Alpha’s knot for fear that it would take even longer for the knot to go away.

“Relax, pup… don’t fight what your body wants…”The Alpha’s words seemed to be enough to push Changkyun to stop fighting the muscle spasms that were rushing through his body, giving in to the overwhelming feeling of pleasure that hit him with each pulse.It was all too much, and Changkyun found himself moaning out the Alpha’s name repeatedly.

The spasms didn’t stop for several minutes - not until the Alpha’s knot began to deflate - and by the time Changkyun was able to calm down he could feel the exhaustion tugging him under.“Fuck… so tired…”

“Then sleep, pup,” Hyunwoo replied, pressing a soft kiss against his lips.“Give your body what it needs… I’ll still be here when you wake up.”


	23. Aftermath

“Take this.”Changkyun raised an eyebrow at the little pills in Kihyun’s palm, unsure of what the man was giving him.“It’s just painkillers… nothing crazy, I promise.I’m sure that you’re probably at least a little uncomfortable now that your heat is over…”Changkyun nodded at the Beta’s comment, shifting his position in the nest so that he could take the pills and the glass of water the elder held.Although he wasn’t really in pain, Changkyun was definitely feeling a bit sore after his heat had ended a couple of hours earlier - his heat had been long and intense, and Changkyun wasn’t the least bit surprised by the sore muscles and the way his ass ached when he shifted his weight so that he was sitting up a bit more.

“Thank you, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied once he had swallowed down the pills.“I should shower…”

“You should take it easy and try to eat something before you get up… you haven’t really eaten much over the last few days, so you’re probably going to be pretty weak,” Kihyun commented, sitting down on the side of the mattress and reaching out to gently run a hand through Changkyun’s hair.“Don’t worry… you don’t smell any worse now than you did at the peak of your heat, and none of us are going to complain if you need some time to rest and relax before you get back to your usual daily activities.It’s pretty normal for any Omega, and you’ve just had what will probably be the worst heat of your life…”

“Probably?” Changkyun asked, a little confused by the way the Beta spoke of his heat.

“From what I’ve read, the first heat after a pregnancy can be pretty intense… some people say worse than coming off long-term suppressants.But they’re comparing it to six months on the pills, not three years, so I doubt it can really compare to what you’ve had to deal with…”

Despite the fact that his heat was over, Changkyun couldn’t help but lean into the Beta’s touch because he enjoyed the sensation.While some parts of his heat were more than a little fuzzy in his head, Changkyun distinctly remembered some time alone with Kihyun in which the Beta had taken great pleasure in playing with his hair and giving him a massage that hadn’t really led to anything more, surprisingly.“You did this during my heat…” Changkyun began.

“I did, a couple of days ago,” Kihyun replied.“You were tense and stressed out by everything that was going on, and I was trying to keep you calm until one of the Alphas was available to take care of you.I was worried that you were going to have a panic attack or do something to hurt yourself on accident in the middle of your heat.”

Changkyun didn’t remember the details, but he was thankful for Kihyun’s presence.“Thank you, _hyung_.”

“You don’t have to thank me… you’re practically a part of our pack at this point, and we want to make sure that you’re taken care of,” Kihyun replied, before leaning in to press a kiss against Changkyun’s temple.“Now, what do you want to eat?Once your stomach gets the memo that your heat is over, you’re going to be starving.”

“I don’t want you to put a lot of effort into something for my sake…”

“ _Yah_ … I do this for every Omega in our pack when they go through a heat.Don’t even think that you’re going to talk me out of spoiling you at least a little bit, just because you feel guilty about it,” Kihyun replied.“I’m going to make you some cold spicy noodles, and you’re going to eat as much as you can stomach, because your body needs the calories.”

“Yes, _hyung_.”

Kihyun was hardly out of the room to go make Changkyun something to eat before Minhyuk was in the room, cuddling up next to Changkyun.“How are you feeling?”

“Tired.Kind of gross,” Changkyun replied, letting his head rest against the elder Omega’s shoulder.“I want to go take a shower, but Kihyun- _hyung_ said I should wait a little longer…”

“He’s right,” Minhyuk replied, moving a hand to play with Changkyun’s hair as well.“I passed out after my first heat because I tried to get up and get back to normal too quickly.You should take some time to recover before you get up and try to do your normal routine… heats take a lot more out of you than you realize.”

Changkyun let his eyes close, nodding at the elder Omega’s explanation.“I’m still kind of tired, too,” he commented.

“Then you should sleep, pup… we’ll make sure that you wake up when Kihyun- _ah_ finishes cooking for you,” Minhyuk replied.Changkyun felt himself relaxing in the elder man’s hold, letting his hand rest on the swell of Minhyuk’s belly.“ _Yah_ … I swear, I think you’re more attached to these pups than their sire…”

“I just like the idea of pups…” Changkyun replied softly, smiling without opening his eyes.“I want to make sure I get to feel it when they start kicking…”

“Why must you be so adorable?” Minhyuk asked, squeezing Changkyun slightly.“Of course I’m going to make sure you can feel it once they’re big enough… I wouldn’t dream of keeping you away from them.”

“Thank you, _hyung_.”

It was easy to fall asleep in Minhyuk’s arms, with his hand resting lightly on the elder Omega’s belly and Minhyuk rubbing small circles on Changkyun’s back.It was comforting to have the elder so close - Changkyun needed to be close to someone after everything his body had been through, even though Minhyuk wasn’t an Alpha.

Waking up in the arms of an Alpha, however, was _definitely_ preferable.Changkyun couldn’t help humming softly in contentment as he turned to bury his face in Hoseok’s neck.“How are you feeling, pup?” Hoseok asked softly, pressing a kiss against Changkyun’s forehead.

“I thought Minhyuk- _hyung_ was going to wake me up to eat…” Changkyun began softly.

“Kihyun- _ah_ said that you ate… but they did say that you didn’t really seem like you were completely awake,” Hoseok replied.“You must have been exhausted… you’ve slept pretty much all day today.”

Changkyun nodded slowly, not bothering to open his eyes.“I do still want to shower, though… I feel gross…”

The Alpha carefully pushed a hand through Changkyun’s hair.“You’ll have to wake up for that… but I’ll gladly draw a bath for you, if that’s what you want,” Hoseok commented.

“Will you get in with me?” Changkyun asked softly, finally making himself open his eyes to look up at Hoseok.“I still don’t want to be alone… it’s weird, but the idea of being alone right now really freaks me out…”

“That isn’t weird at all,” Hoseok replied, wrapping his arms a bit tighter around Changkyun’s torso.“You’re supposed to want to be as close to us as possible right now.It’s how you know that you’re safe, and that there’s someone to take care of you if you were to get pregnant.”

Changkyun nodded, smiling up at the Alpha.“I like having you here more than Minhyuk- _hyung_ …”

Hoseok chuckled slightly.“I definitely would have preferred to be here with you, rather than at work.”Changkyun smiled as the man pressed another kiss against his forehead.“Let’s go get you a bath… I’m sure it will help on a lot of levels.”

Standing up made Changkyun’s head spin, and he found himself leaning heavily against Hoseok for a few moments, even as he started to get his footing back.“Whoa… you okay?”

“A little lightheaded,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head slightly.“I’m okay.I just need a second.”

The Alpha had Changkyun in his arms almost instantly, carrying him into the bathroom and setting him gently down on the toilet seat lid.Changkyun watched in silence as the Alpha started to run water in the tub for him, repeatedly checking the temperature with his wrist to make sure it wasn’t too warm.“You look a little pale, pup…” Hoseok commented softly, glancing back at Changkyun before he started to strip off his clothes.“I’m going to take you up to your room after our bath - I think you probably need some more rest, and I don’t want you to make yourself sick…”

“I’m okay with that,” Changkyun replied, nodding slowly.The Alpha moved to kiss him softly, before Hoseok helped him to his feet to guide him over to the bathtub.Changkyun sank into the water slowly with the Alpha’s help, humming slightly at the way the warm water helped his muscles relax.Hoseok was behind him a moment later, pulling Changkyun back to lean against the Alpha’s muscular chest as the water continued to rise in the tub.“What happens now, _hyung_?”

“That depends on what you want,” Hoseok replied, rubbing his hands up and down Changkyun’s arms.“There are still a lot of things you have to think about, and decisions that you’ll have to make.You can choose to leave us and go out on your own.You can search for a pack that you think fits you best, but stay with us until you’re ready to move on.Or you can choose to stay.Hyunwoo- _hyung_ won’t mark you until he’s sure that’s what you really want, but it’s going to be _your_ choice.We won’t try to push you one way or another, and we won’t make you choose before you’re ready.”

Changkyun nodded, closing his eyes as he relaxed back against the Alpha’s chest.“I just want to be loved.”

“I know, pup.And you shouldn’t accept anything less than a pack that you love, and that loves you in return.”


	24. A Life To Be Proud Of

Changkyun wasn’t sure exactly what had changed after his heat; while the members of the pack had always been good about freely giving him affection when he needed it, after his heat they were much more likely to initiate contact without Changkyun needing to even hint that he wanted them to be closer.It was particularly true with Hyungwon and Kihyun, who had been the least likely to cuddle with him prior to his first heat - the Betas had always been friendly, but a bit more distant than the rest of the group.But since his heat had ended, whatever hesitance had been there before was completely gone.Not that Changkyun would complain about the change; after his heat, Changkyun seemed to crave the affection and physical contact even more than he had before.Their willingness to embrace him as if he was already a member of the pack made him feel happier than Changkyun had even thought possible.

“You’re good at this.Clearly I should ask you for help with dinner more often.”Changkyun couldn’t help smiling at the praise from Kihyun as the Beta ran a hand through his hair while Changkyun chopped carrots for the pack’s dinner that night.Kihyun seemed to love playing with his hair, and Changkyun couldn’t help loving every moment of it.Something about that particular type of contact was comforting, especially when it came from Kihyun.

“We all had to learn how to cook at the Training Center.It was part of learning how to please an Alpha,” Changkyun replied, keeping his eyes on what he was doing despite the fact that he wanted to lean into the Beta’s attention and beg for more.“I liked learning to cook.It was a lot more practical than some of the other things they expected us to learn.”

“Like what?”

Changkyun shrugged, not sure that he really wanted to answer the question.There were a lot of things about his life before he’d met the pack that Changkyun just wanted to forget.He certainly didn’t want to put any of that on his new friends.“There were weird things - mostly weird etiquette rules that don’t apply here.Some stuff that I don’t really want to talk about…”

Kihyun was quick to wrap his arms around Changkyun’s waist, squeezing him tightly as if the man knew that Changkyun needed some kind of comfort just because the incidents of his past had been brought back to his mind.“You don’t have to talk about anything that makes you uncomfortable, you know.But I’m here if you need to talk, okay?”Changkyun nodded, smiling as he finished cutting the carrots he’d been working on and Kihyun leaned in to press a quick kiss against his cheek before moving away from Changkyun.“I guess I should get to work on the rest of dinner.Do you have any more work to do before Namjoon- _ssi_ comes again tomorrow?”

“I have one more chapter to read in the book Namjoon- _hyung_ recommended, but he didn’t expect me to finish it for tomorrow,” Changkyun replied.“Everything he’s expecting me to have finished is done.”

“I really don’t understand how you read so quickly…” Kihyun commented, shaking his head with a smile on his face as he moved down the counter and started to work on something else for the group’s evening meal.“How far ahead of Namjoon- _ssi_ ’s plan are you, anyway?I know he said it was going to take about two years for you to be ready to take the college entrance exams, but you’ve been doing a lot more than he expected…”

Changkyun couldn’t help blushing slightly.“Only a couple of weeks… I got off track when I went into heat, or I’d be further ahead,” he admitted.“I want to try and get to the point that I can take it next year when it’s offered… that would only put me a year behind the other students my age starting university.”

“You know there’s no rush, right?You can take your time and do whatever you need to do,” Kihyun commented, stopping what he was doing and turning to face Changkyun again.“I don’t want you to feel like you have to rush through your education and stress yourself out.You can take your time.It isn’t as if paying for Namjoon- _ssi_ ’s services is a burden…”

“I know, _hyung_ … but I want to get all of this done, so that I can move on with my life,” Changkyun replied. “There are a lot of things I want to do, and it isn’t going to get any easier as I get older.Finishing high school is just something I have to do to move on.”

“What do you want to do?” Kihyun asked.“I know that you’ve said you want to have pups in the future, but it sounds like you have bigger plans…”

Changkyun shook his head.“I don’t know exactly.I just know that I want to have a way to take care of myself.I don’t want to be completely dependent on someone else forever…”

“You want to have a career.”

“I want to have a life I can be proud of - I don’t want to be what the Training Center tried to turn me into,” Changkyun replied.

Kihyun was quick to move towards Changkyun, and the Beta wrapped him in a tight hug for a second time that afternoon.“You _are_ more than what they tried to make you.And you’ll never have to be that kind of Omega… we care about you too much to let you end up with an Alpha or a pack that would want you to be that kind of Omega.”

“Thank you, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, returning the hug.“I know that you all don’t want me to be that kind of Omega, and I trust you all.But it’s hard not to worry about what might happen to me if I were to have to go somewhere else… if you all weren’t able to be there for me.”

“ _Nothing_ is going to stop us from being by your side for as long as you want us to be there,” Kihyun replied, shaking his head.“You’re stuck with us, kid… we care for you too much.”Changkyun smiled, nodding at the Beta’s words.“Go finish reading your book, so that you can surprise Namjoon- _ssi_ with how ridiculously hard you work again.”

“Yes, _hyung_.”


	25. Crash

Changkyun let his head rest against the cool marble of the bathroom countertop, willing the bile rising up the back of his throat to not come up.He’d been feeling off for a couple of days - even Namjoon had noticed that he was getting tired more quickly during their tutoring sessions.But Changkyun was determined not to let himself get sick that day because Namjoon had promised to take him out to visit the plasticized bodies exhibit at one of the museums in the city, and Changkyun did _not_ want to miss out on the opportunity. But if he threw up, and especially if anyone found out that he’d thrown up, there was no way Changkyun would be allowed out of the pack’s apartment.While things had been more relaxed since the PICC line had been removed, the last thing Changkyun wanted was to get sick and worry them all again.

It took a few minutes to get his stomach back under control, but Changkyun was finally able to stand up and take a few deep breaths before walking out of the bathroom and heading downstairs despite the fact that his stomach was still churning.

“You smell off…” Kihyun commented, as soon as Changkyun walked up next to him to grab a cup of coffee.“Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m fine,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.Kihyun’s hand was pressed against Changkyun’s cheek almost immediately, although thankfully Changkyun could tell that the Beta didn’t feel anything wrong.“I’m not sick, _hyung_.”

“I don’t like it… maybe you should stay home and rest today instead of going out with Namjoon- _ah_ …”

Changkyun shook his head.“No, _hyung_ … please don’t make me cancel…”

Kihyun sighed.“I’m not going to make you cancel if you aren’t running a fever… but that isn’t going to stop me from worrying about you when I think there’s something wrong.”

“Is Changkyun- _ah_ getting sick?”Hyunwoo asked, entering the kitchen and immediately moving to put a hand on the small of Changkyun’s back.“I can call Namjoon- _ah_ to reschedule…”

“No, _hyung_ … I’m fine,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head before pouring himself a cup of coffee in hopes that the liquid would be enough to settle his stomach.“I’m not really hungry, Kihyun- _hyung_ … I’m just going to have some coffee for breakfast.”

“Yeah… that is _not_ convincing me that you’re okay,” Kihyun replied, shaking his head.“Back me up, Hyunwoo- _hyung_ … he can’t be feeling fine if he’s refusing to eat anything…”

Changkyun watched as the Alpha eyed him suspiciously.“You’re sure you feel okay, Changkyun- _ah_?” Hyunwoo asked.Changkyun nodded, forcing a smile for the elder man’s benefit.“But you’ll let Namjoon- _ah_ know if you start feeling sick, right?”

“Of course, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, nodding.

Hyunwoo nodded.“Okay.I trust you to know your own limits,” Hyunwoo replied, rubbing small circles on his back before allowing Changkyun to move away from the counter.“But I do want you to at least take something to eat in the car… I don’t want you to start feeling sick later because you haven’t had enough to eat and have to cut your trip short.”

“Okay,” Changkyun replied, nodding and smiling at the Alpha despite Kihyun’s obvious dislike of the plan being formulated in front of him.Still, the Beta chose not to protest further as he started to fix something for Changkyun to take with him.

By the time Namjoon arrived, Changkyun’s cup of coffee was gone and it had helped his stomach a bit.He smiled at Kihyun as the Beta handed him two slices of toast and butter.“Make sure you eat, okay?You need to take care of yourself properly.”

“I will, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, taking the food before heading out to meet Namjoon in the building’s lobby.

The Alpha’s car was modest, but Changkyun was excited to sit in the front seat for the first time in his life; every time he’d been in a car with Hyunwoo or another member of the pack, he’d been guided into the back so that someone could cuddle with him on the way.Even as a child, he’d never been allowed in the front seat of any kind of vehicle because of his small stature.“Running late this morning?” Namjoon asked.

“Huh?” Changkyun asked, turning away from the window where he had been watching the city pass them by.

The Alpha smiled, instead of being put off by the lack of respect in Changkyun’s response.“You have your breakfast with you… I assumed you must have been running a bit late this morning, since you didn’t eat before you came down,” Namjoon explained.“Feel free to eat in the car, by the way.The other members of my pack do all the time, so it isn’t a big deal.”

“Thanks, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, taking a couple of bites and chewing slowly as they drove.“How many other people are in your pack?I know I met Jimin- _ssi_ , and Jeongguk- _ssi_ at the mall a few weeks ago…”

“Five, officially… in terms of age, I’m actually right in the middle.Jin- _hyung_ and Hoseok- _hyung_ are Betas.Yoongi- _hyung_ is also an Alpha, but he didn’t want to be pack Alpha so the job fell to me.Taehyung- _ah_ is an Omega, like Jimin- _ah_ ,” Namjoon explained.“Jeongguk- _ah_ isn’t old enough to join the pack yet, but he’s been around a lot because he’s a childhood friend of Taehyung- _ah_ ’s and Jimin- _ah_ met him a couple of years before we created the pack.”

“How did you choose him?” Changkyun asked.“I mean… what made you think it would be a good idea to ask him to join your pack, when you’ve got an even number of all three dynamics?”

Changkyun watched as Namjoon contemplated his question for a moment.“With Jeongguk- _ah_ , it came down to how easily he fit in with our pack when he began visiting.It was a little awkward at first, because he was really shy when he was younger, but it was never really uncomfortable,” Namjoon replied.“The _maknaes_ knew him first, and they really liked him so we were all willing to give him a chance.He just sort of fits in with the pack… it’s hard to explain.But when you find the right pack, you’ll just know.It will be comfortable, even if you don’t completely agree with everything they say or do.You’ll be able to talk to them about anything, and know that even if you disagree about something you’ll still respect each other and care about each other.”

The screeching of tires almost didn’t register in Changkyun’s brain, but the distinctive crunch of metal against metal definitely caught Changkyun’s attention as he felt the car skidding to the side and his head bouncing against the glass of his window had him seeing stars for a few moments after they had finally come to a stop.

“ _Yah_ … Changkyun- _ah_ , are you okay?”Namjoon’s voice broke through the haze of confusion, and Changkyun could feel the man putting a hand on top of his.“Changkyun- _ah_ … talk to me…”

“What happened?” Changkyun asked, trying to remember why his head was hurting and he couldn’t move his legs.Something was holding them in place, and it wasn’t at all comfortable.

“Idiot ran a red light and T-boned us… does anything hurt?”

“My head…” Changkyun replied, turning slightly to look at the Alpha.“I can’t move my legs, _hyung_ …”

“It looks like you’re pinned… just keep talking to me, okay?Try to stay still.Someone’s already called for help, and we’ll get you out of here as quickly as we can,” Namjoon replied, squeezing Changkyun’s hand gently.“What hurts besides your head?Is anything else hurting?”

Changkyun took a moment before he responded, mentally checking over everything.“My right ankle hurts, but it’s not bad… it’s sort of twisted…”Changkyun looked back at the man, surprised when he realized that there was blood running down the side of Namjoon’s face.“You’re hurt, _hyung_ …”

“I’m fine… it’s just a little cut, nothing serious.I’m more worried that you were unconscious for a minute there…” Namjoon replied.“You probably have a concussion. _Aish_ … Hyunwoo- _ssi_ is going to kill me…”

“It isn’t your fault, _hyung_ …” Changkyun began.He had to trail off mid-sentence, as his stomach began to churn painfully.“I think I’m going to be sick…”Changkyun tried to hold back, but his stomach was not cooperating and he quickly found himself leaning over slightly and vomiting all over his own lap.The action caused his head to feel as though he was going to explode, and Changkyun found himself whimpering slightly when he was done as he tried not to gag over the taste in his mouth.“I’m sorry…”

“ _Yah_ … don’t apologize, Changkyun- _ah_.Vomiting is a symptom of a concussion, and you can’t exactly get out of the car right now…” Namjoon replied softly.“Just breathe… you’re going to be okay.They’ll get you out of here, and we’ll get you to the hospital to get checked out.”

Changkyun nodded slowly, doing his best not to make the pain in his head any worse.A dull, cramping pain spread across the lower part of his abdomen, near where his steabelt sat across his lap.Changkyun winced and squeezed Namjoon’s hand, fighting back another wave of nausea that accompanied the pain.“Hey… talk to me.What’s going on?”

“It hurts…” Changkyun began, moving his free hand to rest over where the pain was coming in waves.

“Just hang in there for a little while longer, okay?” Namjoon replied.“Someone will be here soon… everything is going to be okay.”


	26. Hospital

Changkyun slowly opened his eyes as he felt someone stroking a hand through his hair, carefully avoiding the large bump that had formed where his head had bounced off the car window a few hours earlier. His head and ankle both ached, although it wasn’t quite as bad as he’d expected the pain to be considering the fact that he’d been trapped in the car for quite a while before the fire department had been able to extricate him from the wreckage safely.Changkyun suspected that he’d probably been given something for the pain, although he didn’t remember much of anything.

“Hey there, pup… how are you feeling?”Hyunwoo’s voice was soft, just loud enough for Changkyun to understand what he was saying without making the dull ache of his concussion any worse.

“Tired… everything hurts…” Changkyun replied, turning to look at the other man.He could see that Hyunwoo was upset, although the Alpha was clearly trying to hide it from him.

“I’m sure,” the Alpha replied, smiling slightly at him.“How much do you remember?”

Changkyun took a deep breath to answer, wincing as another wave of dull, cramping pain washed across his lower belly.It was the same pain that he remembered from when he’d been in the car, similar to what he’d experienced during his pre-heat phase.But this was different, because it came in waves and was significantly more intense than his pre-heat cramps had been.“It hurts, _hyung_ …”

“I know, pup… but it’ll be over soon,” Hyunwoo replied, pressing a soft kiss against Changkyun’s temple.

The Alpha’s reassuring words brought the reality of the situation crashing back to Changkyun’s mind, and he could feel the tears starting to well up in his eyes as he remembered what the doctors had said shortly after he’d arrived at the hospital.“I was pregnant…”

Hyunwoo sighed, nodding.“You were.”

“I lost the pup…” 

Changkyun closed his eyes, trying to hold back the sobs that wanted to escape from his lips as Hyunwoo leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against his fore head.“It’s okay, pup… you’re allowed to be upset.Let it all out.”

Changkyun let go at that, allowing the tears to flow freely because he knew that the Alpha wouldn’t be upset with him for giving into the emotions that were running through his brain in that moment.Hyunwoo simply did his best to provide some kind of comfort for Changkyun, whispering soft words in his ear that Changkyun wasn’t really able to process in that moment and refusing to let go of him.

Eventually, the sobs slowed into the occasional hiccup, and Changkyun took in a slow, shaky breath to try and pull himself back together.His headache was more intense than it had been before he’d started crying, and he had to close his eyes to keep the light in the room from making it any worse.“I’m sorry, _hyung_ …”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, pup,” Hyunwoo replied.“You aren’t responsible for any of what’s happening.”

“I should have admitted that I felt sick this morning before Namjoon- _hyung_ picked me up…” Changkyun replied, sighing.“The pup would still be alive if I hadn’t been in that car this morning.”

“You didn’t even know you were pregnant, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Hyunwoo commented.“Your doctor said that they’ll test the pup’s remains, because the car accident shouldn’t have caused you to miscarry… it was so early on, the pup was still behind the bones of your pelvis.And you didn’t have any broken bones that might have hurt the pup…”

“But the seatbelt…”

“Was in the right place.You’ll have some bruises from it, but there’s no long-term damage done and it shouldn’t have done anything other than bruise you up a bit,” Hyunwoo replied.“Your concussion and ankle shouldn’t have affected the pup at all, and those are the only real injuries you have besides some bumps and bruises.Your doctor said that the accident likely just made the inevitable happen a little sooner than it would have on its own…”

Changkyun sighed, leaning into the Alpha’s hand as Hyunwoo stroked through his hair again.“I’m tired…”

“Then rest.I promise you, someone will be here when you wake up,” Hyunwoo replied, pressing another kiss against Changkyun’s forehead and giving him a little more space to relax and hopefully try to sleep some more.

Changkyun drifted off into a fitful sleep, occasionally being woken up by the pain in his belly as well as the regular visits from hospital staff to check his vitals or otherwise check on him.The one constant was the presence of a warm hand in his, although Changkyun could tell after a while that a different member of the pack was with him by the size and shape of the hand that was in his own.It took him a while to recognize the scent as Jooheon, but he was thankful for the elder Omega’s presence once he realized who was there with him.

“ _Hyung_ …” Changkyun whimpered, opening his eyes and turning to look at the other man.“I want to go home…”

“I know, pup,” Jooheon replied, leaning in to press a soft kiss against his temple.“We’re going to take you home to recover as soon as the doctor says you’re stable enough to be released.They want to keep an eye on you, because of your head injury, and they don’t want to stress you out too much with too many people in the room.”

“I don’t care… I want to be with the pack…” Changkyun replied.

Jooheon sighed audibly.“I know you do… I can’t imagine going through something like this without the whole pack.But you need to be monitored, and your health is our number one priority right now,” the elder replied.“Just try to relax… you’ll be home soon enough, and then we’ll all be there to cuddle you and do whatever we can to help you feel better.”

Changkyun closed his eyes, whimpering slightly as another wave of cramping hit him.He just wanted it all to be over, and he squeezed Jooheon’s hand tightly.The pain was worse than it had been when he’d first attempted to fall asleep, and it certainly contributed to making the pain in his head and the accompanying nausea even worse than they had been before as well. 

“Breathe, pup… I know that it hurts, but you have to keep breathing,” Jooheon guided, stroking a hand through his hair just as Hyunwoo had when he had been there.Changkyun did his best to follow the instructions, but it was difficult to focus.Finally, the pain subsided and he was able to catch his breath again.“You’re doing so well, pup… you’re so much stronger than I could ever be…”

“I don’t feel very strong right now… I can’t even carry a pup properly…” Changkyun commented.

“ _Yah_ … there was no way to stop this from happening, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Jooheon replied.“You shouldn’t have even been able to conceive during your first heat… you’re still too underweight to properly support a pregnancy, and you were on medication that should have prevented this from happening.Hyunwoo- _hyung_ said that the doctor suspects there was some kind of abnormality with the pup to begin with - something that went wrong weeks ago, before the pup had even started to develop organs.Something that would have made the pup pass away no matter what you did to try and save it.”

Changkyun shook his head, closing his eyes.“I don’t understand…”

“I know, pup… it’s hard to understand why these things happen,” Jooheon replied, moving forward and pressing a kiss against his temple.“Rest, okay?I’m going to be here when you wake up.”

“But you have class…” Changkyun began.

“You are more important than anything happening at school right now,” Jooheon answered, stroking a hand through his hair again.“Get some rest.I’m not going to abandon you when you aren’t feeling well.”


	27. Homecoming

Changkyun leaned his head against Hoseok’s shoulder as the alpha carried him, bridal-style, into the pack’s apartment.He hadn’t even really tried to argue against being carried; Changkyun was exhausted from everything that had happened in the two days he’d been hospitalized, and he honestly just wanted the comfort of having the Alpha nearby to protect him.Everything made him feel anxious, but having an Alpha that he trusted nearby was helping.

“Let’s get you into the nest… everyone wants to see you, but if you aren’t feeling up to having us all around right now you’re welcome to ask people to leave,” Hoseok commented, starting to carry Changkyun down the hall towards the pack’s nest.Changkyun nodded against the man’s shoulder, letting his eyes close as they approached the room.

“Is he sleeping?”Changkyun didn’t open his eyes at the sound of Minhyuk’s voice, even as he felt Hoseok carefully placing him on the mattress and someone else starting to cover him with one of the many warm blankets kept in the room.

“Not yet,” Hoseok replied.“He’s been sleeping on and off the whole way home, but I don’t think he’s really out yet.”

“I know the doctor said that he would likely sleep a lot… between the concussion and everything else going on, he needs the rest,” Hyunwoo added.Changkyun felt someone starting to stroke his hair, still being careful to avoid the bump on the side of his head.“Did he say anything to you?”

“Not really… he’s been pretty quiet,” Hoseok replied.“I didn’t want to push him to talk when he clearly wasn’t feeling well.”

“It’s probably for the best,” Kihyun commented.Changkyun felt the hand stroking through his hair pause for a moment.“He needs time to process everything… this is going to be difficult.We just have to be here to support him when he’s ready to talk about what’s going on in his head.”

“Let’s let him rest… we don’t want to make things worse by keeping him awake when he needs to sleep,” Hyungwon suggested.Changkyun could feel the bed moving slightly as the rest of the group moved around to get more comfortable, although he could tell that Jooheon and Hyunwoo were closest to him.He immediately curled into Hyunwoo’s side, thankful when the man immediately wrapped his arms around Changkyun’s body to hold him close.

Changkyun wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep when he finally woke up, still curled against Hyunwoo’s chest.The older man was rubbing his back, clearly still awake and focused on making sure that Changkyun was comfortable.“How are you feeling, pup?” the Alpha asked softly.

“I’m okay,” Changkyun replied.“The cramps aren’t so bad anymore… just uncomfortable.But my head is really starting to hurt again.”

“I’ve got it…”Changkyun was thankful to hear Hyungwon’s voice from the other side of the bed, although the movement didn’t help his headache or the nausea that went along with it.

“Could you get Kihyun- _ah_ to bring him something to eat, too?He probably shouldn’t take the painkillers on an empty stomach,” Hyunwoo commented.

“I can get up…” Changkyun began.

“No, pup… your body needs to rest in order to heal,” Hyunwoo replied, shaking his head.“You’re staying in the nest unless it’s absolutely necessary for you to be up, at least for the next few days.I really don’t want you to stress yourself out trying to do too much, especially when you aren’t supposed to be putting any weight on that ankle.”Changkyun closed his eyes, nodding and leaning into the warmth of the man’s embrace.

Changkyun wasn’t really sure how long he was waiting before he felt someone carefully moving his injured foot.“ _Hyung_ …” he whined softly.

“Your ankle is swelling, pup,” Minhyuk commented softly.“It needs to be iced and elevated, to keep the swelling down.”Changkyun whimpered softly as the man moved it onto a stack of pillows and adjusted the ice pack to make sure it wouldn’t fall off.

Seeing the swell of Minhyuk’s belly sent a shock of pain through Changkyun’s chest, and he couldn’t stop the tears that started to come to his eyes at that moment.“ _Aish…_ Changkyun- _ah_?What’s wrong?” Hyunwoo asked, as soon as the Alpha noticed his crying.

“I’m s-sorry…” Changkyun replied, shaking his head and burying his face against the Alpha’s chest so that he wouldn’t have to look at Minhyuk again.As much as he loved the elder Omega, seeing him with a significant baby belly _hurt_.

“I think I upset him…” Minhyuk commented.“I’m sorry, pup… I’m going to leave for a little while, but I’ll come back later if you want me to be here…”

Changkyun could tell that the elder Omega was upset by his reaction, but he was already struggling to calm himself down and he knew that he couldn’t take care of Minhyuk’s feelings, too.“It’s okay, pup… you’re okay.”

“I upset him…” Changkyun commented through his tears.

“Minhyuk- _ah_ will be fine… right now, I’m more worried about you,” Hyunwoo replied.“It hurts to see him, doesn’t it?”Changkyun nodded, thankful that the Alpha understood without Changkyun needing to spend the energy it would take to explain.“We should have thought about the fact that his pregnancy might be difficult for you… it’s okay for you to be upset by seeing him, you know.If you want him to stay away…”

“I _don’t_ …” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“I don’t want him to stay away… but I don’t know how to do this…”

“It’s okay, pup… you don’t _have_ to know,” Hyunwoo reassured, rubbing small circles on his back.“None of us expect you to be able to handle this on your own, or to be over things so quickly.You’ve had a rough couple of days, and it’s going to take time for you to heal from _all_ of the things that have happened this week.”

Changkyun nodded, letting his eyes close again.“I don’t even know what’s going on… it’s all still so jumbled in my head…”

“All the more reason we have no expectations of you right now,” Hyunwoo replied.“We just want you to let us take care of you, so that you can heal and work through all of this.Your health is more important than anything else right now.”

“Which is why you need to eat,” Kihyun commented.Changkyun forced his eyes open, noting the tray of food in the man’s hands.“ _Hyung_ , would you help him sit up?We’ll need to move the pillows around to support his ankle…”

Changkyun let the two men move him into an appropriate position for eating, leaning back against Hyunwoo’s chest so that he was supported and the Alpha could maintain the physical contact that Changkyun needed.Once he was sitting up, Changkyun was surprised to see that they were the only ones in the room.“Where did the others go?” Changkyun asked softly.

“I can go get them…” Kihyun began, starting to turn towards the door.

Changkyun quickly shook his head.“No… I’m okay right now.I just wanted to know they were still here…”

“We all stayed home today, to make sure we were here if you needed us,” Hyunwoo replied, stroking a hand through Changkyun’s hair.“I have to go to work tomorrow, but Hoseok- _ah_ and Kihyun- _ah_ will be here all day and everyone else will be in and out.But if you want anyone specific, we’ll all just be a phone call away.”

“You should try to eat now, so that you can take your medication,” Kihyun commented, sitting down on the side of the bed near Changkyun’s feet.“I thought some soup would be easiest for you to eat, but if there’s anything else you want to eat just let me know.”

Changkyun nodded, picking up the spoon and starting to eat as much as he could.As much as he wanted to eat the whole bowl, Changkyun had only made it about halfway through the bowl before he had to put his spoon down.“Feeling okay?” Hyunwoo asked softly.

“I’m just not really hungry,” Changkyun replied.Kihyun was quick to take the tray away from him, moving it to one of the tables next to the bed.

“We’ll save the rest for later… just ask when you get hungry again, and we’ll get some more for you,” Kihyun commented, as he passed Changkyun a small paper cup that contained the pills he’d been prescribed and a bottle of water to wash them down with.

“Or something else, if you want something different,” Hyunwoo added.Changkyun nodded, closing his eyes and starting to melt back into the Alpha’s arms.

“I’m going to go clean up the dishes… do you want me to send someone else up to cuddle, Changkyun- _ah_?I’m sure that anyone would be willing to come spend some more time with you…” Kihyun began.

“They can come up if they want,” Changkyun replied.As much as he wanted the rest of the pack in the room, he didn’t feel comfortable asking for all of them to drop whatever they were doing to spend time there when he was likely going to spend most of the time they were there sleeping.

“What _you_ want is the most important thing,” Hyunwoo commented.“The last thing we want is for you to be upset… we _want_ to take care of you right now.So if you want the rest of the pack to come up and be with you, then that’s what we’re going to do.”

Changkyun could feel the tears stinging at his eyes, as he nodded against the Alpha’s chest.“I want them here,” Changkyun replied.

“Okay,” Kihyun replied, as Hyunwoo pressed a soft kiss against his head.“I’ll let the others know.”

Changkyun nodded, staying curled up against Hyunwoo’s side even as he felt the bed shifting as the others joined them.“Is he okay?” Jooheon asked softly.

“He’s pretty upset… he needs all of us to be here for a little while,” Hyunwoo replied.“I think he just needs the reassurance that we’re all still here and we all still care about him…”

“ _Aish_ … does he really think that we would abandon him?” Hyungwon asked.

“I don’t know what he’s thinking, honestly,” Hyunwoo replied.“He’s trying to be strong.He didn’t want to admit that he wanted everyone here until Kihyun- _ah_ and I convinced him that everyone in the pack would be happy to come be with him tonight…”

“Then we’re going to have to make sure that he knows just how much we care about him.”


	28. Reassurances

“How are you feeling, Changkyun- _ah_?” 

Changkyun slowly hobbled his way up to the bar counter in the kitchen, sitting down and leaning his crutches against the counter.“Tired… still a little uncomfortable,” Changkyun replied, as he got himself situated in one of the chairs that sat at the bar.“I just needed to get out of the bed…”

“It’s understandable,” Kihyun replied, turning back to his work as he chopped some vegetables for the pack’s dinner.“You’ve been stuck looking at the same four walls for too long, it’ll probably be good for you to start trying to get out a little more.”

Changkyun nodded, relaxing back into the chair.“ _Hyung_ … how do you afford to stay home from work so much?You’ve taken so much time off to take care of me over the past few months…”

“I work for an organization that provides support for people coming out of institutions like the orphanages and Training Center you grew up in,” Kihyun replied.“My hours can vary a lot, and since Hyunwoo- _hyung_ is in charge of the board it’s easier for me to take time off when we need it for something.Things are pretty slow right now, so it isn’t an issue for me to take some time to be here for you, and for the rest of the pack.”

“Is that why Hyunwoo- _hyung_ picked me from the Training Center?” Changkyun asked.

Kihyun stopped what he was doing, turning to look at Changkyun.“It’s the reason he went to the Center, yes,” Kihyun admitted.“I’m going to be honest with you - he always accepts the first Omega presented to him, because we know from years of experience that most of the Centers punish the Omegas that fail to please the Alphas they are interviewed for.We give every Omega the opportunity to choose to stay with us, if they feel that this is the best place for them. 

“But that doesn’t mean that we don’t love you… you’re the only Omega since Jooheon that we’ve seriously considered adding to the pack, because we all agree that you would work well with us,” Kihyun replied.“We’re all attracted to you, and we would all be upset if you chose to leave us.But it’s _your choice_ , whatever you do.We won’t stop you, and we won’t push you to choose one way or the other.You understand that, right?”

Changkyun nodded.“I know that, _hyung_.I promise that I’m not questioning whether or not you all care about me - I can’t imagine you doing everything you’ve done if you didn’t care.I just… I worry that I’m asking too much from all of you.”

“You aren’t asking us to do anything, Changkyun- _ah_.We _want_ to take care of you, because we care about you and your health,” Kihyun replied.“This is the kind of thing that families and packs do for each other, and we consider you part of our pack.Not because you’ve asked anything of us, but because we hope that you’ll choose to stay with us when the time comes.”

Changkyun nodded again, closing his eyes.“What does Hyunwoo- _hyung_ do?Other than saving Omegas from Training Centers… I don’t think that would be something that pays very well…”

“It’s more of a pet project for him than an actual job,” Kihyun agreed.“Hyunwoo- _hyung_ is the CEO of a company that manufactures SIM cards for most of the major cell phone providers.Although he isn’t as publicly known as most CEOs are - he doesn’t like the spotlight of being a _chaebol_ , so he does what’s necessary and leaves it to someone else to be the face of the company.”

“And Hoseok- _hyung_?”

“Hoseok- _ah_ works for the company as well… I’m not completely sure about his job title, but he’s basically Hyunwoo- _hyung_ ’s right-hand man at the company.Not really an assistant or a secretary, because he does some tasks that wouldn’t be appropriate for someone in that kind of role.Basically, he does anything and everything that needs to be handled when Hyunwoo- _hyung_ can’t,” Kihyun explained.

Changkyun couldn’t help being confused.“But they were both here with me when I got home…” Changkyun began.

“The company can run without them, too,” Kihyun replied, before turning back to the food he’d been preparing.“They have other executives who can handle things in their stead, if needed.People they can trust to do what’s best for the company.”

Changkyun relaxed a little at the older man’s explanation, thankful that Kihyun was willing to explain things to him.“So I’m not ruining things for them?”

Kihyuns stopped what he was doing, moving away from the counter and coming around so that he could take Changkyun’s hand.“Hey… you haven’t ruined anything.You haven’t done anything wrong, and no one is upset with you about anything that’s happened, okay?”

“I just don’t want anyone to resent me being here…” Changkyun replied softly, letting his head turn down so that he was staring at his lap.“I’m trying so hard to not be a burden…”

“Hey… you _aren’t_ a burden,” Kihyun replied, stroking a hand through Changkyun’s hair.“Everything we’re doing for you, it’s because we see you as pack.We want you to feel comfortable here, and we want to have you with us long-term.”

Changkyun took a deep breath, closing his eyes.“Even when I’ve failed?”

“You haven’t failed, pup,” Kihyun replied.Changkyun felt the Beta pressing a soft kiss against his temple.“Your body did what it needed to do - if it had kept the pup any longer, you could have gotten really, really sick.The important thing is that you’re still here, and you’re healthy.There will be more pups in the future.But you can’t be replaced.”

“Why would you want _me_ , though?” Changkyun asked.“I’m just another Omega…”

“No, you’re Changkyun,” Kihyun replied, interrupting him.“You’re special to us.You fit into this pack in ways that no one else ever has.I can’t think of any other Omega that we would want to have here as much as we want you, pup.”Changkyun closed his eyes, leaning against the Beta because he just wanted to feel the warmth of Kihyun’s embrace.“We love you, pup.You know that, right?”

Changkyun nodded against the Beta’s shoulder.“I know, _hyung_ ,” he replied.

“We lost the pup, too, Changkyun- _ah_.I know that it’s harder for you than the rest f us, but we understand that this hurts,” Kihyun commented.“You can tell us what’s hurting you.We won’t judge you for what you’re feeling, because we’re feeling it, too.”

“I want my baby,” Changkyun replied softly, as the tears began to sting at his eyes.“I want to feel it growing inside me, and moving.I want to know what that feels like… I feel so _empty_.”

“I know,” Kihyun replied.“I know that it doesn’t make it any easier, but I promise that we’ll do everything we can to give you that chance again, when the time is right.You need to heal first.But if that’s really what you want, then it’s something we’ll pursue when the time is right.”

“It _hurts_ ,” Changkyun commented.

“I know.”Kihyun began rubbing small circles on Changkyun’s back.“It’s never easy to deal with something like this.But you don’t have to hold it in; you can talk to us about whatever is going on in your head.It’s honestly probably going to be better if you _don’t_ hold it back… it’ll help if you can talk it out with people who really care about you.”

Changkyun took a deep breath.“I’ve never wanted anything as much as I wanted that pup,” he commented softly.“I always knew that I wanted pups, but this was different.It was _there_ , and it was _real_.And then it was gone…”

“Let’s go to the couch… let’s get comfortable, and you can tell me whatever’s on your mind,” Kihyun commented.“I’m going to listen to anything that you need to get out there, because I know that you need to just let it all out right now.”


	29. Check Ups

Changkyun stared down at his hands as he waited for the doctor to come in, unsure if he really wanted the test results that were coming.It had been two weeks since the accident and his miscarriage, and Changkyun had found himself going back and forth between being okay for a while and being too upset to do much of anything.

Hoseok seemed to sense that Changkyun was upset, and the Alpha was quick to take his hands and squeeze them gently.“It’s all going to be okay,” he commented softly.“Whatever the doctor says, we aren’t going to be upset with you.You shouldn’t have been able to get pregnant, and you didn’t even know…”

Changkyun nodded, squeezing the Alpha’s hands and taking a deep breath as the door opened and a doctor he recognized from his time in the hospital entered the room.“How are you feeling this morning, Changkyun- _ssi_?” the man asked, looking up from the clipboard in his hands with a smile.

“Okay… just a little nervous,” Changkyun replied.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about,” the doctor reassured.“We just need to check a few things, and then we’ll talk about the results of some of the tests from the hospital.We’ll get the worst part over with first, okay?”

The internal exam was far from comfortable, although Changkyun knew that it was only being done to make sure that everything was healing properly.He was just thankful when the doctor helped him sit back up.“Right… everything looks good.I’m going to order some bloodwork just to make sure that everything is going back to normal there as well, but physically I’m not seeing any reasons for concern.I am going to recommend that we prescribe some kind of contraceptive, at least until your other injuries have healed and you’ve put on some weight… right now, attempting to conceive wouldn’t be a good idea…”

Changkyun nodded.“I don’t want to get pregnant again… not yet…”

“This wasn’t a planned pregnancy,” Hoseok added.“I think the whole pack is more than happy to wait a while before he conceives again.”

The doctor nodded.“It’s good that everyone is on the same page,” he replied.“We do need to talk a bit about the test results… the genetics results didn’t indicate any hereditary issues, but there were some deformities that were incompatible with life…”

“Was it my fault?” Changkyun asked softly, unable to look up from his hands.

“No, not at all,” the doctor replied.“There are many different things that can go wrong in prenatal development, and there’s no way of knowing what caused them.There are environmental factors, medications, and any number of other things…”

“He was on suppressants for three years before he conceived…” Hoseok began.

“That could definitely be a contributing factor… suppressants aren’t intended for long-term use, and we typically suggest waiting at least one cycle after coming off suppressants before attempting to conceive,” the doctor replied.“Unfortunately, we’ll never be able to pinpoint an exact cause for the pup’s deformities.There are just too many different factors at play.The important thing is that there weren’t any known genetic factors, which means that with careful planning and the proper prenatal care we can hopefully avoid having a repeat of this situation in the future.”

Changkyun breathed a sigh of relief, leaning over to let his head rest against Hoseok’s shoulder.“Thank you…”

“I think he really needed to hear that,” Hoseok added, moving to rub small circles on Changkyun’s lower back.

“I’m going to go get the orders for the blood test, and write up the prescription for the contraceptives while you get dressed.Someone will call in a day or two, once we get those test results back, about follow-up appointments if necessary,” the doctor commented.

“Thank you,” Hoseok replied, still holding onto Changkyun as he tried to process everything that he’d been told as the doctor left them alone.“Are you okay, pup?”

Changkyun nodded slowly, closing his eyes.“It’s just a lot…”

Hoseok was quick to press a soft kiss against his forehead.“I know… but this is good news for the future,” Hoseok replied.“Obviously we don’t want you to get pregnant again any time soon… you need time to heal, and to make some decisions about what you want to do.But at least we know that there wasn’t some horrible genetic disorder that caused this to happen.One day, when you’re ready to try again, there’s a strong possibility that you will be able to conceive and have a healthy pup.That’s good news.”

“I just want it all to be over, and for things to go back to normal,” Changkyun replied softly.“I’m still bleeding…”

“We can ask about that… but I’m sure if it was something to be concerned about, he would have said something,” Hoseok commented.“Let’s get you dressed, okay?Then we’ll go do the blood draw, and go home so that you can rest.”

Changkyun nodded, letting the Alpha help him into his clothes so that he wouldn’t have to put weight on his injured ankle.Almost as soon as he’d managed to sit down, the doctor was back with the promised prescription and orders for the blood tests.“The lab should be able to get you in pretty quickly… I called ahead to let them know you’re coming,” the doctor commented, as he handed the papers over to Hoseok.“Do you have any other questions, before you go?”

“How long does it take for the bleeding to stop?” Hoseok asked, so that Changkyun wouldn’t have to say it.

“It can take a while… up to six weeks in some cases,” the doctor replied.“As long as it isn’t constant or severe at this point, there’s nothing to worry about.If it hasn’t stopped by six weeks, or if there’s significant bleeding at any point from now on, that’s something we need to know about.But it’s normal for it to take some time to stop.It’s all part of the physical healing process.”

By the time they were on the way out of the hospital, Changkyun was both physically and mentally drained from the whole ordeal.“Do you want to go get something to eat?” Hoseok asked, once they were in the car.

“I just want to go home,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“I’m really tired…”

“Okay,” Hoseok replied, turning the car towards the pack’s apartment building.“I’ll order something in once we get back home, so that you aren’t subjected to my awful cooking.”

“I’m really not hungry, _hyung_.”Changkyun closed his eyes as he spoke, leaning back into his seat and trying not to let himself get upset.It was ridiculous; Changkyun knew that he should be happy to know that there wasn’t anything that he could have done to change the outcome of his pregnancy, but somehow it just made him feel worse.There wasn’t anything that could hold back the tears that had been threatening to fall ever since they’d left the doctor’s office.

It didn’t take long for Hoseok to notice that he was upset, and Changkyun felt the Alpha quickly take his hand.“Hey… it’s okay, pup.You’re okay.”

“I’m sorry…” Changkyun began, shaking his head.He didn’t really know why he was so upset, or even how to explain it to the alpha.He was just overwhelmed by the emotions that had begun running through his brain while they were in the doctor’s office.

“Don’t apologize, pup… you have nothing to apologize for…” Hoseok began.Changkyun could feel the man pulling the car over and stopping, although he couldn’t really see what was happening around him through his tears.The Alpha was quick to lean across and try to wrap Changkyun in a hug to comfort him.It was awkward, but Changkyun really didn’t care; he needed the comfort in that moment.


	30. Hurting

“How’s he doing?”Changkyun could hear Hoseok’s voice, but he didn’t open his eyes as he rested his head against Hyunwoo’s chest.He was too tired; he hadn’t even started to fall asleep until just a few minutes earlier, because he’d been too wound up from dealing with an outpouring of emotions that he hadn’t expected.Things had been going well; he’d thought that he was dealing with everything that had happened after his breakdown following the doctor’s appointment, but he’d suddenly been hit with a rush of overwhelming sadness and anger at himself for not knowing sooner.All of the tears had resulted in the headache that went along with his concussion coming back with a vengeance.

“He only just fell asleep,” Hyunwoo replied softly.“It was a really rough night - he was upset and crying, which made his head hurt.I’ve been up all night trying to make sure he didn’t hurt himself…”

“ _Aish_ … what happened?”

“Honestly, I have no idea,” Hyunwoo replied, sighing.“I thought he was doing really well with handling everything, but suddenly it was like it hit him all at once and he couldn’t handle it.It didn’t end until he completely wore himself out… I was just waiting to make sure he was out before I tried to get some sleep myself, because I’ve been up for 24 straight hours at this point…”

“I can take over, if you want to get some sleep…” Hoseok began.

“That would be good… I don’t know if it’s a good idea for me to go to sleep without someone to keep an eye on him,” Hyunwoo commented.“As exhausted as I am, I’m not sure I would be able to wake up if he needed me for something.”

There was a brief moment of silence as Changkyun felt himself being carefully moved around so that the two Alphas could swap places without risking waking him up, and he found himself curling into Hoseok’s warmth automatically.“Are you sure he’s asleep?”

“We may have woken him up a bit,” Hyunwoo commented.Changkyun felt one of the Alpha’s large hands stroking through his hair.“I think he’ll go back to sleep pretty quickly if he did wake up at all - he has to be exhausted, after all of the crying he did.”

“I’ve got him, _hyung_.Go get some rest.”

The man’s hand disappeared, but it didn’t take long for Changkyun to hear Hyunwoo’s voice again.“I’m wondering if we should take him to a doctor…”

“What do you mean?” Hoseok asked softly.“His doctor said that he was healing perfectly…”

“I’m talking about a psychiatrist or psychologist,” Hyunwoo corrected.“I know that it’s still a fresh wound, and that it’s going to take time for him to heal.For _all_ of us to heal.I’m just worried that he’s not heading in the right direction, after everything that’s happened to him and what I saw last night.I just think it would be a good idea to at least give him the chance to talk to a professional, under the circumstances.It might be good for all of us…”

There was another moment of silence, before Hoseok responded.“I think that’s something we need to talk to him about, _hyung_.I think it would be good for him, but at the same time I don’t want to overwhelm him with too much all at once,” Hoseok commented.“If he’s willing to go, then we should definitely at least take him.But unless he says okay, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.I’m not sure if it would do him some good, or if it would push him away from us if we forced him into something like that…”

“I definitely don’t want to force him,” Hyunwoo replied.“The last thing I want is for him to feel as though we’re pushing anything on him.I’m not going to force him unless it seems like he’s in danger.But I think it’s time to put the offer out there for him.”

Changkyun felt Hoseok rubbing circles on his back, almost as if touching him somehow helped Hoseok think.“I think you’re right,” the younger Alpha finally replied.“We’ll have to be careful about how we phrase it, though… we don’t want to make him think we’re giving up on him or something like that.Changkyun- _ah_ needs to know that we’re only suggesting a doctor because we want to make sure that he gets whatever help he needs.”Changkyun didn’t hear much else as the exhaustion took over, pulling him into a deep sleep.

“… still asleep?”Kihyun’s voice cut through the haze of sleep, as Changkyun felt someone rubbing his back.

“He hasn’t even moved since Hyunwoo- _hyung_ left,” Hoseok replied.

“ _Aish_ … _hyung_ has already gotten up and gone into work…” Kihyun commented.“I don’t want to wake him up if he needs to sleep, but he needs to eat so that he can take his medication.It’s already almost one…”

“I’ll wake him up,” Hoseok replied.“Why don’t you go ahead and make something for him to eat?I can handle this.”

Changkyun could feel Hoseok gently rubbing circles on his back again, before moving a hand to push the hair out of Changkyun’s face.“Changkyun- _ah_ , it’s time to wake up…”Actually getting his eyes to open was harder than Changkyun had expected it would be, but he finally managed to force himself to look up at Hoseok.“Hey, pup.How did you sleep?”

“I’m tired…” Changkyun replied, closing his eyes again.

“I’m sure… but you need to wake up so that you can eat something and take your medicine,” Hoseok commented.“Come on, pup… you can sleep again once you’ve gotten something in your stomach.But you have to eat.”

Changkyun nodded slowly, letting the Alpha help him out of the bed.Although he was no longer using the crutches, Changkyun’s ankle was still somewhat sore and uncomfortable to walk on for very long.The orthopedic surgeon had assured him that it was normal and it just meant that he needed to rest more so that his ankle could continue to heal, but it was frustrating to still be so dependent on his _hyungs_ after almost a month.

“Your ankle is hurting?” Hoseok asked, as they made their way downstairs.Changkyun nodded.“We’ll get something for you to take, and maybe some ice…”

“I just want it to stop,” Changkyun replied, as they made it to the bottom of the stairs.“I wish I could just go back and stay home that day… that I could just stop all of this from happening…”

Hoseok sighed, pulling Changkyun into a tight hug.“I know, pup.But you have to remember that the doctor said there was nothing that would have stopped this from happening,” the Alpha replied.“I wish that we could take that pain away, so that you didn’t have to go through all of this.”

“I just want everything to be okay again…” Changkyun replied.

“We all do, pup.All any of us want is for you to be happy and healthy again.”

There was a moment of silence, before Changkyun spoke again, still leaning against the Alpha’s chest.“Do you really think that I need to see a doctor?” Changkyun asked.

“You heard that conversation?”Changkyun nodded.“I don’t think it would hurt.I’m not sure what they would be able to do for you, but I think that it’s worth a shot.”

“Am I crazy, _hyung_?” Changkyun asked softly.

“No… not at all,” Hoseok replied.“You’ve been through something seriously painful, and you have every right to be upset.We just want to make sure that you’re getting all of the support you need to get through this without any long-term problems.”

Changkyun nodded, letting his eyes close for a moment.“I’ll go, if you really think it will help,” he replied.

“I think it’s a good idea to at least try talking to someone who can help you.”


	31. Support

Kihyun squeezed his hand as they sat in the waiting room, rubbing his thumb across the back of Changkyun’s hand in a comforting gesture.“What do you need me to do, Changkyun- _ah_?” the Beta asked softly.It was clear that the older man was doing his best to make sure that Changkyun stayed as calm as possible.

“Just stay with me, _hyung_.”The Beta squeezed his hand again as Changkyun let his head rest against the older man’s shoulder.“You’ll go in with me?”

“If that’s what you want, and the doctor says that it’s okay,” Kihyun replied.

“Son Changkyun- _ssi_?”Changkyun looked up at the doctor, who smiled at him as he stepped out of the office.“If you’d like to come in…”

Changkyun nodded, not letting go of Kihyun’s hand as he stood up.“Can Kihyun- _hyung_ come with me?”

“For today, if that would make you more comfortable,” the doctor replied, smiling at him.“The first appointment is always a little intimidating.Why don’t you come on in and make yourselves comfortable?”

Changkyun nodded, following the doctor back into his office.There was a sofa along the opposite wall, and several old but comfortable looking upholstered chairs.“Go ahead and sit where you’d like… would you like some water?”

“I’m okay,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head as he sat down on the couch, taking Kihyun’s hand again once the Beta was sitting next to him.

“Okay.Have you ever seen a psychiatrist before, Changkyun- _ssi_?” Changkyun shook his head slowly.“That’s okay.We’re going to start off today just talking about what brings you here, and I’m going to ask some questions about your history just so that I can get a better idea of what might be going on here.”

“And then you’re going to tell me what’s wrong with me.” Changkyun asked.

The doctor shook his head.“There may not be anything wrong with you, Changkyun- _ssi_.But we’ll talk about what’s going on and figure out how we proceed from here.Why don’t you tell me why you decided to call and schedule this appointment?”

Changkyun took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. “I didn’t call… Kihyun- _hyung_ did,” Changkyun admitted.“I did agree to come.I don’t like the way I feel right now.”

“What do you mean?” the doctor asked. 

Changkyun looked down at his lap, picking at a loose thread in the seam of his jeans for a moment before he spoke.“I’m struggling… I had a miscarriage about a month ago.I didn’t even know I was pregnant…” Changkyun began.He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.“I was in a car accident… the doctor said that it didn’t _cause_ the miscarriage, but it probably caused it to happen sooner than it would have anyway…”

Kihyun moved his hand away from Changkyun’s grip, so that he could put his arm around Changkyun’s shoulders.“He’s been having a hard time dealing with the loss…” Kihyun added, when Changkyun didn’t continue. 

“I take it you’re part of the same pack?” the doctor asked.

“Changkyun- _ah_ lives with my pack, but he hasn’t joined us yet,” Kihyun replied.

“I take it that the pregnancy was unplanned?” the psychiatrist asked softly.

“We didn’t think he could get pregnant, because of some health issues he’d been dealing with,” Kihyun commented.“He was in an Omega Training Center for three years before he came of age…”

“I appreciate your help, Kihyun- _ssi_ , but it’s better if I hear as much as possible from Changkyun- _ssi_ himself.Many times, simply being able to talk about the details can do a lot of good,” the doctor replied. 

“ _Mianheyo_ ,” Kihyun replied, squeezing Changkyun’s shoulders slightly.

Changkyun took a deep breath, nodding at the doctor’s words and taking a moment to figure out what information he needed to make sure the doctor understood.“I don’t really know what to say…” he began.

“That’s okay.Why don’t you start by telling me about what happened at the training center…” the psychiatrist suggested.

“I grew up in a children’s home, so I’m not completely sure what’s normal and okay, and what was really fucked up about what happened to me…” Changkyun began, closing his eyes.“They pulled me out of school when I entered the center, and everything I learned from that point forward was about how to please an Alpha.I know now that a lot of the things they taught me were wrong… I didn’t even know what a heat was when I first came out of the Training Center, and I’d always been taught that I was only here to make an Alpha happy.”

Changkyun could hear the sound of the doctor’s pen scratching across the paper, before the man spoke again.“Did they teach you anything about pups?”

“That it would be my job to carry them for my Alpha, if they wanted them,” Changkyun replied.“It was never a question of whether or not I wanted to have pups.They never talked about what I wanted… only what my Alpha might want from me.”

“What do you want, Changkyun- _ssi_?”

Changkyun thought for a moment, looking down at his lap.“I want to join the pack, and I _want_ to have pups,” Changkyun replied.“When I found out that I was pregnant, but I was losing the pup, I was devastated… I didn’t want to believe it was real, because it was like I was losing everything I’d only just realized that I wanted in life…”

“You thought that the pack wouldn’t want you because you lost the pup?” Kihyun asked, seemingly surprised.

“I thought you would all be upset with me for failing… everyone was so excited about Minhyuk- _hyung_ ’s pups…” Changkyun began.

Kihyun shook his head, pulling Changkyun into a hug.“We would never be upset with you for that… it was all beyond your control…”

“I know… the logical part of my brain gets it.But the thoughts don’t go away.It keeps coming back again and again, no matter how hard I try to convince myself that it isn’t going to happen,” Changkyun replied.“I can’t make it stop, _hyung_ … I can’t just make it all go away.”

The rest of the appointment went by quickly, even though it was mostly filled with Changkyun talkingand the doctor occasionally asking questions to help Changkyun clarify what he meant so that the doctor had a good idea of what was going on in his head.It was exhausting, but by the time the doctor had started to wrap up their conversation Changkyun felt significantly lighter than he had in a while.

“First of all, I want you to understand that there is nothing wrong with needing help to deal with what you’ve gone through,” the doctor commented, as he closed his notebook.“You’ve been through a significant amount of trauma in your life, especially for someone so young.Choosing to ask for help is a big step - and you’ve already succeeded in doing that.”

Changkyun nodded, smiling at Kihyun as the Beta gently squeezed his shoulder with one hand.“What do we need to do to help him?” Kihyun asked.

“I think that our first step is going to be starting you off with regular therapist appointments so that you can talk through everything that’s happening in your brain,” the doctor began.“Changkyun- _ah_ … how do you feel about trying medication to help with your symptoms?”

“You’re letting me choose?” Changkyun asked.The question had caught him off-guard; he’d expected the doctor to just tell him what he needed to do in order to fix himself.

“In your case, I don’t think that pushing you to take medication if you’re against it would be beneficial,” the doctor replied.“Right now, I feel comfortable with the idea of letting you work through things on your own.You are struggling, but you aren’t a danger to yourself.I do think that a low dose of an anxiety medication could be beneficial, because those symptoms are causing you a lot of stress.”

Changkyun nodded slowly, taking in everything the doctor had said.Kihyun squeezed his shoulder again for a brief moment when Changkyun didn’t immediately answer the doctor’s question.“Would he be able to think about it and make a decision later?”

“It’s definitely a topic that we can revisit at a later appointment,” the doctor replied.“There is always the chance that we may _have_ to put you on medication at a later date, for your own safety.But if you need more time to consider what you want to do, we can always continue that part of the conversation at your next appointment.”

“I think… I think I want to try it,” Changkyun replied.“I can always change my mind, if I don’t like the way it makes me feel, right?”

“There are plenty of things we can do to adjust the treatment plan as needed,” the doctor replied.“Medications can be changed, or adjusted, or even discontinued if they aren’t working and you’re in a position to handle your issues without them.Once you’ve started meeting with your therapist, they’ll become part of the conversation as well and we’ll figure out what will benefit you the most, together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in two days on this one?!
> 
> Okay, so I admit I have ulterior motives. I'm doing Camp NaNoWriMo in July, so updates may be a bit less common for the month. I do have a good bit of content for this story pre-written, so that means this one WILL still be updated. It just may not be as often as you're used to getting updates.
> 
> I promise I'm not abandoning this, or any of my in-progress fics. I just have an idea that I'm working on for Camp NaNo that will likely take all of my writing time, because my goal is 50K. But it will be posted here on AO3 over the course of the month, as I finish chapters and get them ready to be presented. It's an A.C.E fic that I'm VERY excited about, because it's an idea I've been working on and playing with for years (it's just changed from an original story to a fanfic, because I'm no good at creating original characters).


	32. Running Away

Changkyun looked up as he felt someone rubbing his shoulders, forcing a smile as he saw Minhyuk standing there.“How are you doing, pup?” the elder Omega asked, moving to sit in the chair next to him as he worked on one of the math assignments Namjoon had asked him to try to work on before their next tutoring session.Hyunwoo had suggested that bringing Namjoon back in to work with him again might be helpful, and his new therapist had agreed with the idea.The Alpha had already visited the day before to just ease him back into working on his education, and Changkyun had been trying to work through everything his tutor had suggested he try to do.It had been a good day up until that point, and Changkyun had managed to get a good bit done.

“I’m okay, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, putting his pencil down and leaning back in his chair to take a break.“I’m having a pretty good day… the anxiety isn’t that bad, and I’ve been able to keep the bad thoughts under control.”

“You aren’t overworking yourself, are you?” Minhyuk asked.“I know you want to finish your high school coursework as quickly as possible so that you can go to college, but I’m worried that you’re going to make yourself sick…”

Changkyun sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head.“That doesn’t even have anything to do with it, _hyung_ ,” he replied.“I just need something to keep my mind off everything right now.I need to be able to focus on something besides how much it all hurts.Because it hurts so much more than I’d ever imagined it could, and I _need_ to get past all of this…”Changkyun could see the tears in Minhyuk’s eyes at his words, but he had to turn away and avoid looking at the elder Omega for fear that it would bring back his own tears.“I just need to handle this my own way, _hyung_.I’m not going to do anything stupid, but I need you to trust me.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you… I’m just worried about how you’re doing, after everything that’s happened,” Minhyuk replied.

Changkyun closed his eyes, suddenly feeling the crushing weight of all of his insecurities coming back to him in that moment despite the medication that had been helping keep him from breaking down.“I can’t do this right now…”Changkyun stood up, shaking his head.“I can’t have this conversation with you, _hyung_.I’m sorry…”

It didn’t completely register that Changkyun was leaving the apartment until he was already in the elevator, trying not to let the tears that were threatening to fall actually come.He pulled out the phone that Hyunwoo had given him, clicking into the group chat he’d been added to and quickly typing an explanation that he just needed to be alone for a little while and that he was okay, before clicking out of the chat so that he wouldn’t feel the need to explain further. 

By the time he was out on the street, Changkyun wasn’t able to stop the tears from falling down his face.All of the emotions that had been building up just started pouring out of him, and the only thing he could think about was how much he needed _someone_ who wasn’t involved in everything going on. 

“Yeobosayo?”

Changkyun took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down enough to try and talk to Namjoon without completely breaking down.“ _Hyung_ … can you come get me?Please?”

“ _Changkyun-_ ah _?What’s wrong?_ ”Changkyun could hear the concern in Namjoon’s voice.

“I just need to get out…” Changkyun replied softly.“Please… I can’t go back right now…”

“ _Where are you?_ ” the Alpha asked.

Changkyun stopped, looking around for a moment until he found a small café where he could wait.“There’s a café…”Changkyun quickly told the Alpha the address, before moving to sit at one of the tables on the little patio outside.

“ _I have an appointment that I can’t miss, but I’m going to send Jiminie to come get you, okay?You remember meeting him at the mall, right?_ ”

“Yeah, I do,” Changkyun replied.Although he didn’t really know the other boy, knowing that Namjoon was sending another Omega to come get him did make him feel at least a little better.Jimin had been kind to him, and Changkyun didn’t have any reason to think that the boy would be any different in this circumstance than he had been during their encounter at the mall.

“ _You’ll be okay until he can get there?He said he’s about five minutes away,_ ” Namjoon replied.

Changkyun took a deep breath, nodding even though he knew that the Alpha couldn’t see him.“Yeah… yeah, I’ll be okay,” Changkyun replied.

“ _I’m going to let Hyunwoo-_ ssi _know that you’re with us, too, if that’s okay.I know that they must be worried…_ ”

“I told them that I just needed to be alone for a while…” Changkyun began.

“ _All the more reason I think they should know where you are,_ ” Namjoon replied.“ _I won’t say anything else, if you’re uncomfortable.But I need to at least make sure that they know you’re safe._ ”

Changkyun sighed, closing his eyes and trying to fight back the tears again.“Okay.”He couldn’t help the soft sob that escaped his lips with the word, and Changkyun knew that Namjoon had heard it, too.

“ _It’s going to be okay, pup.We’re going to figure this all out.Just wait for Jiminie right now, and when you get to our pack’s apartment he’ll introduce you to everyone else.They’ll take care of you._ ”

“Thank you, _hyung_.”

Changkyun was thankful that no one really seemed to be paying much attention to him as he sat there, waiting for Jimin to come find him.He couldn’t stop the tears from sliding down his face as he waited, burying his face in his hands and trying not to sob audibly as the enormity of everything he’d just done hit him like a ton of bricks.Changkyun hadn’t meant to run away; he hadn’t wanted to upset anyone.But he couldn’t bring himself to go back and face them all in that moment.

“Changkyun- _ssi_?” a voice asked softly.Changkyun looked up, surprised to see both Jimin and Jungkook, as well as another boy who appeared to be about Jimin’s age - clearly another Omega.“Hey… are you okay?”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t want to interrupt…” Changkyun began, shaking his head.

“It’s okay, Changkyun- _ssi_ ,” Jungkook commented.“Do you want something to drink before we go?We can get you some coffee…”

Changkyun shook his head.“No… I’m okay,” he replied softly, shaking his head.

“You don’t have to pretend that you’re okay… _hyung_ told us that you were upset, and that we should keep an eye on you…” the third boy commented.Changkyun saw Jimin close his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand while slapping the boy’s arm with the back of his hand.“Ow… Jiminie…”

“Taehyung- _ah_ , shut up,” Jimin commented.“I’m sorry about him, Changkyun- _ssi_.He doesn’t always know when he should keep his mouth shut…”

“It’s okay,” Changkyun replied, closing his eyes as he tried to stop the tears that were still flowing.“I know I’m worrying everyone.I just need to be away from Hyunwoo- _hyung_ ’s pack right now… it’s all too much.”

Changkyun felt one of the others take his hand, squeezing it gently.“That’s okay, Changkyun- _ssi_.Let’s go back to our apartment, okay?You’ll be safe with us, and you can calm down and figure things out.”Changkyun nodded at Jimin’s suggestion, standing up and letting the elder Omega put an arm around his shoulders to guide him.

It was a fairly short bus ride from the café to the building Namjoon’s pack lived in, but Jimin didn’t let go of Changkyun the entire way.Taehyung stuck close to his other side, although he didn’t actually touch Changkyun, and Jungkook stood close by, as if he was protecting the three Omegas from the other people on the bus.By the time they had arrived at the front door, Changkyun was significantly calmer.

“Why don’t we go hang out in our room?We can play Mario Kart…” Taehyung began, as they all kicked off their shoes in the entryway of the apartment.

“What’s Mario Kart?” Changkyun asked.

“You’ve never played Mario Kart?” Jungkook replied, seemingly shocked.Changkyun shook his head, unsure of what the others were even talking about.“Do you not play video games?”

“Just the ones on my phone…” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“Hyungwon- _hyung_ taught me how to play a few of them, but I don’t think I have that one…”

“Mario Kart is a Nintendo game,” Taehyung explained.Changkyun raised an eyebrow, unsure of what Nintendo was.“You don’t know Nintendo, either?Where have you _been_?”

“Oh my God, Tae- _yah_ …” Jimin muttered, groaning.“Seriously, Changkyun- _ssi_ , don’t let this idiot upset you.He really needs to learn to think before he speaks.”

Changkyun shook his head, looking down at his feet for a moment.“It’s okay… I’m just not sure what you’re talking about,” he replied.“I don’t know how much Namjoon- _hyung_ told you about me…”

“Not much,” Jimin admitted, when Changkyun trailed off.“You don’t have to tell us anything if it makes you uncomfortable, though.It’s only our business if you choose to tell us.”

“I grew up in an orphanage,” Changkyun replied.“When I presented, they put me into an Omega Training Center… Hyunwoo- _hyung_ saved me…”

“ _Aish_ … but he’s paying _hyung_ to tutor you,” Taehyung began.“If he’s that kind of Alpha, why would he let you continue your education?”

“He isn’t that kind of Alpha,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“He was trying to shut the Training Center down… I just happened to be the first Omega they pulled for him to interview.He took me home with him so that I wouldn’t be punished for failing again, and his pack offered to let me stay.”

There was a moment of silence, before Jungkook spoke up again.“I guess that it’s lucky Hyunwoo- _ssi_ was the first Alpha to pick you,” the boy commented.“Will they be angry with you, for leaving today?”

Changkyun shrugged.“I don’t know… I just needed to get out.”

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need.”Changkyun looked up at an unfamiliar voice from a few feet away.He was surprised by the tall, attractive Beta standing in front of them.Although the older man wasn’t smiling, there was something calming about his presence that Changkyun couldn’t quite place.“I’m Seokjin… you must be Changkyun- _ssi_.”

Changkyun bowed quickly, doing his best to remember his manners.“Thank you, Seokjin- _ssi_ …”

“Are you hungry?I was about to start making dinner, but I can find something for you to eat if you’re hungry…” Seokjin commented.

“I’m fine, thank you, Seokjin- _ssi_ ,” Changkyun replied, bowing again.

“Jimin- _ah_ , why don’t you show our guest to the bathroom so that he can clean up a little bit,” Seokjin suggested.“Please make yourself at home, Changkyun- _ssi_.”


	33. Talking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAND... I'm back! I'm not sure about being able to keep to my original posting schedule, but at least it won't be quite so long before you see my next update!

“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable… I just want to talk, okay?”Changkyun nodded at Namjoon’s words, sitting down on the side of someone’s bed as Namjoon took the desk chair and turned it to face him.The Alpha was smiling kindly at him, but Changkyun couldn’t help feeling nervous about the conversation to come.“Hey… take a deep breath and relax.I just want to know what’s going on, so that I can help you figure out where you need to go from here.There’s nothing to stress out about.”

Changkyun nodded, closing his eyes for a moment and following Namjoon’s suggestion to take a deep breath and calm himself down.Despite the fact that it had been several hours since Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung had rescued him from the coffee shop, all of the anxiety that had been there when he’d first left the apartment was starting to collect in his belly again.The younger members of Namjoon’s pack had been good at keeping his mind off of things, but as soon as Namjoon had asked him if they could talk, everything had come rushing back to him.

“There’s no rush, okay?You’re welcome to stay here for a while, if that’s what you need to do,” Namjoon replied.“Hyunwoo- _ssi_ said he’d be happy to send someone over with some clean clothes and your medication if you don’t feel comfortable going home tonight.He’s just glad to know that you’re safe.”

“I don’t want to impose…” Changkyun began.

“It isn’t imposing at all,” Namjoon interrupted, shaking his head.“We’re offering to let you stay here until you’re in a better place.You’re comfortable with us, right?”Changkyun nodded slowly.“Just take your time, okay?There’s no rush.”

“I feel like I’m going crazy sometimes…” Changkyun began quietly, closing his eyes.

“You definitely aren’t crazy,” Namjoon replied.“You’ve been through something pretty traumatic, and it’s normal to struggle with things like that.No one here is going to judge you or be upset if it takes you some time to work through everything that’s happened, and I’m sure that your _hyungs_ feel the same way…”

Changkyun could feel the tears starting to pool in his eyes, and he couldn’t stop them from starting to roll down his cheeks.“The doctor said that I’m depressed…”

Changkyun felt the bed shift slightly, as the Alpha moved to sit next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug.“Anyone in your position would be struggling, pup,” Namjoon replied.“This is normal.Your doctor told you that, too, didn’t he?”Changkyun nodded again, not bothering to stop the tears that were rolling down his face.“Depression is a real monster to deal with.There are going to be good days and bad days, but the important thing is that you keep fighting it.You have to go to your therapy appointments and take your medication, and you have to reach out when you’re struggling so that the people who care about you can help.It’s going to take a lot of hard work, but you’re going to be okay.”

“I just want it to go away… I was happy, _hyung_.For the first time in my life, I felt like things were going to be okay.I just want that back…” Changkyun began, before his voice cracked.

“And you’ll get there,” Namjoon reassured.“You may still have bad days, but you’ll have good days, too.And it _will_ get better.You can ask Yoongi- _hyung_ when he gets home from work…”

Changkyun looked up at the Alpha, raising an eyebrow.“Yoongi- _ssi_?”

Namjoon nodded, smiling at Changkyung.“ _Hyung_ has been fighting with his depression for a long, long time.But he _is_ fighting, and he lets the rest of us know when he’s struggling so that we can help him through it.It’s never been easy… but we love Yoongi- _hyung_ exactly as he is, and we do what we can to make things easier for him when he’s struggling because that’s what packs do.”

“I don’t want to be a burden to anyone…” Changkyun began, reaching up to wipe away his tears.

“Why do you think that you would be a burden if you were to tell the people that care about you that you’re struggling?” Namjoon asked.

“Everyone has spent so much time already taking care of me…” Changkyun began.

“Because they care about you,” Namjoon explained.“You’re special, Changkyun- _ah_.Hyunwoo- _ssi_ ’s pack loves you, and they want you to be happy and healthy.That’s why they’ve put so much time and effort into taking care of you - because that’s what you do for the people you love.”

Changkyun nodded, closing his eyes and taking a shaky breath.“I know that,” Changkyun replied.“I just… I’ve never had anyone who actually cared about me before now.”

“I know that it can be difficult to remember that it’s because they care when you feel like a burden, but everyone who’s been here for you over the past few months - everyone you think of as a friend - _is_ someone who cares about you,” Namjoon replied.“And before you can protest it, you _do_ deserve to have people who care about you like this.You’re a person.You deserve to be loved.I’d argue that you probably deserve to be loved more than just about anyone else… even after everything you’ve been through, you’re still a good person and you have so much love for the people that are close to you.”

“Thank you, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun commented softly.

Namjoon hugged him a bit closer.“Now, do you think you can tell me what happened earlier that had you so upset?”

Changkyun nodded, taking a deep breath.“It’s hard to see Minhyuk- _hyung_ right now… when I see him, I can’t help thinking about the fact that I would look like that in a few months if I hadn’t lost my pup,” Changkyun replied.“Minhyuk- _hyung_ was just trying to take care of me - he wanted to make sure that I wasn’t pushing myself too hard on my schoolwork, and that I was doing okay.But somehow it just set off all of the anxiety and the bad feelings that had been under control, and something in my head just told me that I had to get away…”

“It happens… I can’t even tell you how many times Yoongi- _hyung_ has shut himself away or just left because things got too big to handle,” Namjoon replied.“You did the right thing by calling me and asking for help, and you’re always going to be welcome here when you need to get away from whatever is upsetting you at home.All you have to do is ask, okay?”

“Okay, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied.“Thank you… I know that it isn’t convenient…”

“It doesn’t matter what’s convenient.What matters right now is that you’re okay, and you’re comfortable with whoever you’re staying with,” Namjoon replied.“You need to be somewhere with people you trust, so that you can heal.I’ll make sure that you get the phone numbers for the other members of my pack, so that you always have a way to get in touch with us.Does that sound okay to you?”

Changkyun nodded, smiling.“Thank you, _hyung_.”

“Do you want me to ask Hyunwoo- _ssi_ to send someone over with a bag for you?” Namjoon asked.

Changkyun thought for a moment, before nodding.“I think that would be a good idea.I just… I need some more time.”

“Okay.I’ll take care of it, if you want to go back to the video games with the _maknaes_.”


	34. Special Delivery

Changkyun opened his eyes as he heard the doorbell for the small apartment ringing, sitting up and turning towards the door as he tried to figure out what was going on.“Hey… relax,” Taehyung commented, rubbing his back.Changkyun could see that the older boy was half-asleep himself.“Hoseok- _hyung_ will get it… you should go back to sleep.”

“But if it’s Hyunwoo- _hyung_ …” Changkyun began.

“If you want to talk to him, then you can get up.But I’m pretty sure all of your _hyungs_ would understand if you wanted some space,” Taehyung replied, squeezing Changkyun’s shoulders gently.“It’s up to you… you don’t have to do anything that you aren’t comfortable with.”

Changkyun nodded, leaning back against the elder Omega as Taehyung rubbed his back.“I probably should go talk to them, whoever it is…” Changkyun began.

“If that’s what you want to do, then okay,” Taehyung replied, helping Changkyun up and putting an arm protectively around his waist as Changkyun walked towards the front door, where a Beta that Changkyun didn’t recognize was talking to Kihyun and Jooheon.

“Changkyun- _ah_!”Jooheon hurried past the unfamiliar man, quickly wrapping Changkyun in a tight hug.The older man took a step back for just a moment, looking Changkyun in the eyes for a moment.“Are you okay?You aren’t hurt?”

“I’m fine, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“I just need some space…”

“All that matters is that you’re safe and happy, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Kihyun commented, stepping forward a little more and taking his hand and squeezing it gently.“When you’re ready to come home, all you have to do is call, okay?We’ll come get you whenever you’re feeling up to coming home.”

Changkyun nodded.“Thank you, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, as Jooheon gave him another hug.“I’m sorry for causing more work…”

“ _Yah_ … don’t even worry about it,” Jooheon interrupted, shaking his head.“Just… call me, okay?Even if you aren’t ready to come home, I still want to know that you’re okay.If you want to hang out or whatever, just let me know, okay?”

“We’ll take care of him,” the Beta commented, smiling at them kindly.“Changkyun- _ssi_ will be safe here, and we’ll make sure that we let you know if anything happens.”

“We really appreciate it, Hoseok- _ssi_ ,” Kihyun replied, turning back to the other Beta with a smile.“Thank you.Really.”

“We don’t mind,” Taehyung added, moving so that he was standing right behind Changkyun again.Changkyun could see that Jooheon didn’t look thrilled by the other Omega’s response to the entire situation, although Changkyun wasn’t really sure what was going on.“Changkyun- _ah_ is a great guy… we’ve enjoyed hanging out with him this afternoon.”

“Tae- _yah_ , why don’t you go see if Jin- _hyung_ needs help finishing off dinner?” Hoseok asked.The Omega from Namjoon’s pack backed away, nodding and leaving the entryway of the small apartment.“Sorry about him - he can be a little clingy and overprotective at times.Especially when he gets attached to someone new.The first week he moved in, Yoongi- _hyung_ nearly decked him because he didn’t want to let Yoongi- _hyung_ out of his sight… he really acts more like a Beta most of the time…”

“It’s fine…at least he cares enough to want to look out for Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Kihyun replied, smiling at the other Beta.“We should probably head home.I still need to make dinner for our pack.”

Changkyun closed his eyes and Jooheon pulled him close again, wrapping Changkyun in a tight hug.“We love you, Kyunnie.Take care of yourself, okay?”

“I will, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, as Jooheon let go of him so that Kihyun could give him a hug as well.

“Your meds are all in the front pocket of the backpack, and I packed a few outfits and some pajamas in the main pocket.If you’re going to stay here longer and need more clothes, let me know and I’ll bring over some more of your things,” Kihyun commented, as he gently ran a hand through Changkyun’s hair and smiled at him.“I’ll call you in a couple of days if I don’t hear from you, okay?”Changkyun nodded, smiling back at the older man.

It was strange to watch his _hyungs_ leaving the small apartment, especially once Hoseok closed the door behind them and turned back to smile at him.“I’m Jung Hoseok, by the way… I think you’ve met everyone else, right?” the Beta asked.

“Not Yoongi- _ssi_ ,” Changkyun replied.

“Ah… I guess he must have left before you got here,” Hoseok commented.“You’ll meet _hyung_ tomorrow, most likely.He’s practically nocturnal, and unless one of the _maknaes_ needs him to be home he’s usually at his studio most of the night.”

Changkyun raised an eyebrow.“Studio?”

“ _Hyung_ is a producer.A couple of his songs have been on the radio,” Hoseok replied.

Changkyun smiled.“I should introduce him to Jooheon- _hyung_ at some point.He’s studying music production…”Changkyun followed Hoseok back into the apartment itself as he spoke, suddenly realizing that the Beta was carrying his backpack for him.“I can carry my bag, Hoseok- _ssi_ …”

“It’s fine,” Hoseok replied.“We’re going to have you share with Taehyung- _ah_ and Jiminie.Joonie thought you would be more comfortable if he and Yoongi- _hyung_ weren’t sleeping in the same room.Although Jin- _hyung_ might sneak in during the night, because he’ll probably want to check on you.”

Changkyun followed the older man into the bedroom where he’d been playing Mario Kart with Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook earlier that afternoon.“What about Jungkook- _ah_?”

“He doesn’t live here,” Hoseok replied.“He isn’t a member of the pack yet, because he’s still underage.Jungkook does spend the night here sometimes, but his mother called and told him that he had to go home for dinner tonight because his family pack are expecting visitors.”

“Kookie will probably spend the night this weekend,” Jimin commented, from where he was sitting at one of the two desks in the small room.Changkyun could see that the elder Omega was working on schoolwork, given the fact that there was a textbook sitting open next to him.“You can pick where you want to sleep - Taetae and I don’t mind sharing, if you want a bed to yourself, or you’re welcome to just crawl in with one of us when it’s time to go to sleep.”

“I don’t want to put anyone out…” Changkyun began.

“You won’t be,” Hoseok replied, as the Beta put Changkyun’s backpack down next to the small wardrobe’s doors.“They almost never actually stay in their own beds, honestly.I’m not really sure why we actually have that top bunk, when five or six days a week we come wake them up to find them cuddling in the bottom one.”

“Taehyung- _ah_ is clingy…” Jimin began.“It isn’t my fault that he likes to come cuddle with me in the middle of the night.”

“At least it means that we have enough space for guests,” Hoseok replied.“Jin- _hyung_ should have dinner finished in a couple of minutes - you probably want to go ahead and start cleaning up.”

“I still have a bunch of problems…” Jimin began.

“Maybe you should have done your studying _before_ you played Mario Kart all afternoon, since you knew that we had a dance class tonight,” Hoseok replied, shaking his head.“Don’t make Jin- _hyung_ hold dinner for you, okay?You know how he gets when he has to keep dinner warm.”

Changkyun couldn’t help feeling a little bit like a puppy as he followed Hoseok back to the main area of the apartment, where Taehyung and Seokjin were finishing setting out everything for dinner.“Tae- _ah_ , will you go tell Jimin- _ah_ and Joonie that dinner is ready?” Seokjin asked, as he placed a large, bubbling pot of some kind of stew in the center of the table.

“It looks good, _hyung_ … you really outdid yourself tonight,” Hoseok commented, as he guided Changkyun to sit at the low table.

“Thanks, Hobi… Changkyun- _ah_ , I hope you’re hungry,” Seokjin commented, as the elder man immediately began serving up bowls of the stew for everyone before they even all arrived at the table.

“Be careful, Changkyun- _ah_ , or this one will try to fatten you up…”Changkyun looked up at Namjoon’s words, as the Alpha came into the room and knelt down next to Seokjin to press a kiss against the older man’s temple.“Thank you for dinner, _hyung_.”

“ _Yah_ … sit, so that we can start dinner.Hobi and Jimin have dance tonight, and they’ll be late if we don’t start soon.”


	35. Morning

Changkyun blinked a few times as he woke up, trying to figure out why he was so _warm_.It wasn’t uncomfortable by any means - in fact, it was kind of nice.But it was also a bit unexpected, because it took Changkyun a moment to process the fact that he was sandwiched between two other Omegas and being cuddled somewhat aggressively by Taehyung, who was playing the role of Big Spoon.

“Jimin- _ah_ … it’s time to wake up…”Changkyun looked up at the sound of Seokjin’s voice coming from the other side of the smaller Omega.“Good morning, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” the Beta commented, smiling at him.“Sorry to wake you up, but these two have school…”

“I was awake,” Changkyun replied, loosening his own grip around Jimin’s waist so that the other Omega could get up.Taehyung, on the other hand, seemed to be completely unaware of the fact that anything was happening around him.Changkyun tried to move so that he could help Seokjin wake Taehyung, but the elder Omega remained oblivious.“Is he always this hard to wake up?” Changkyun asked, as Jimin finally started to get up with only the softest of grumbling.

“Half of the pack would sleep all day if I would let them,” Seokjin replied, as the Beta gently pushed Jimin towards the bedroom door despite the fact that the Omega still seemed to be more asleep than awake.“I think Hoseok- _ah_ is the only one I don’t have to force to get up in the mornings.Although Jungkook- _ah_ wakes up pretty early on his own, so once he joins the pack in a few months I’ll hopefully have another person to help me with the task.”

Changkyun managed to extract himself from Taehyung’s death-grip as Jimin left the room, although the elder Omega grumbled loudly at the loss of Changkyun’s warmth.“You have to get up, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun commented, as he tried to shake Taehyung awake without getting close enough so that he wouldn’t get sucked back into cuddling with the other man.“You have school…”

“Don’t wanna…” Taehyung grumbled, trying to get Changkyun back into the bed with him.

“You go ahead, Changkyun- _ah_ \- I’ve got this,” Seokjin commented, shaking his head as he got between Changkyun and the elder Omega.Changkyun nodded, following Jimin’s lead and leaving the room so that he could start his day along with the rest of Namjoon’s pack while Seokjin forced to Taehyung to actually wake up.

Changkyun was surprised when he walked into something rather solid just outside the bedroom, coming eye to eye with a scowling Alpha who looked as though he might be contemplating Changkyun’s murder.“S-sorry…” Changkyun commented, backing up and bowing quickly to the obviously older man.

“You’re Changkyun- _ssi_?” the man asked.Changkyun nodded slowly.“Min Yoongi.I’m going to bed now.We’ll talk later.”Changkyun just nodded again, more than a little confused by the Alpha’s gruff demeanor as the man walked past him and into one of the other bedrooms.

“I guess you met Yoongi- _hyung_ ,” Jimin commented, as he walked out of the bathroom.“Don’t worry… he’s actually really nice.He just comes across as kind of harsh when he’s tired.Once he’s slept for a few hours, you won’t even think that he’s the same person you just met.”

“Does he normally stay out all night?” Changkyun asked.

Jimin nodded, smiling.“He does his best work in the middle of the night,” the elder Omega commented.“He’s actually really good at his job.He could have been a performer in his own right, but Yoongi- _hyung_ decided that he liked being behind the scenes better.It lets him work on his own schedule, and it means that he got to choose his own pack rather than being pushed to be in a pack with other people at the entertainment company.”

Changkyun was surprised.“That happens?”

“It isn’t supposed to, but it does a lot of times,” Jimin replied.“Yoongi- _hyung_ said that the company he works for doesn’t push their groups as much as some of the other companies he’s seen, but there’s still going to be pressure for groups to become pack because it just makes everything easier…”

“How does it make things easier?” Changkyun asked.

Jimin smiled.“Once you’re part of a pack, it’s difficult to be separated from your pack members for any significant length of time,” Jimin replied.“It’s the easiest for Betas, although they still suffer if they aren’t getting what the emotional support they need, just like Alphas and Omegas.We don’t _have_ to always be together, but when we’re apart for more than a couple of days we really don’t do as well…”

Changkyun couldn’t help feeling uneasy about Jimin’s explanation, as he realized that he was going to need more than just a couple of days to deal with what was going on in his head.Luckily, Jimin seemed to almost immediately figure out what was happening, and he elder Omega quickly shook his head.“It won’t be like that for you, though… you aren’t part of a pack yet, even though you’re living with Hyunwoo- _ssi_ and his pack.Being here might be what helps you decide where you really need to be, but it won’t be emotionally draining for you like it would be for a mated Omega.”

“I want to join Hyunwoo- _hyung_ ’s pack…” Changkyun commented, looking down at the floor. 

Changkyun was surprised when Jimin quickly moved closer to him, wrapping him in a tight hug.“And I’m sure you will, when you’re ready,” Jimin commented.“You just need time to heal, so that you can be happy and healthy.Maybe that’s the reason you’re here with us right now.”

“Everything okay?” 

Changkyun looked up at the sound of Namjoon’s voice, nodding as Jimin let go of him and took a step back.“Everything is fine, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied.

“Changkyun- _ah_ was getting a little upset… but he’s okay now, right, Changkyun- _ah_?” Jimin supplied.Changkyun nodded at the elder Omega’s explanation. 

Namjoon smiled sadly at him, reaching out and smoothing out his hair.“It’s okay to be upset… you’ve been through a lot in the past few weeks.Don’t feel bad about asking us if you need something, okay?We’re all going to be here for you if you need anything.”

“Thank you, _hyungs_ ,” Changkyun replied, smiling at the two older men.

“Let’s go get something to eat, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Jimin commented.“Jin- _hyung_ always makes something delicious for breakfast.You’re in for a treat.”Changkyun smiled, nodding and letting Jimin guide him down the hall to the living room, where someone else had already se up a table with lots of food.

“Seokjin- _ssi_ did all of this?” Changkyun asked, as he sat down next to the elder Omega who immediately began grabbing food and putting it into one of the little bowls of rice that had already been made for them.

“It’s a little more than he usually does… he’s a morning person, and he really likes cooking,” Jimin replied.“Go ahead and eat up. _Hyung_ will be upset if you don’t at least try his cooking.You have to be hungry…”

“I am… I just feel bad that he did all of this work without any help…”

“ _Yah_. _You_ are a guest.You aren’t going to feel bad about not helping with chores and stuff,” Jimin interrupted, before Changkyun could even finish his sentence.“Eat - you could definitely stand to gain a couple of pounds.”Changkyun did what he was told, following Jimin’s lead and starting to add things to his own bowl so that he could eat his fill.

The rest of Namjoon’s pack, minus Yoongi, trickled in over the course of the next few minutes, until everyone was seated and eating in relative silence.“Doesn’t Yoongi- _ssi_ eat?” Changkyun asked, when he realized that the Alpha wasn’t with them.

“He’ll eat when he wakes up,” Seokjin replied.“Yoongi- _yah_ runs on his own schedule.He’s been under a lot of pressure at work lately, and we’ve realized over the years that it’s best to give him his space at times like this, unless he comes to one of us.”

Changkyun couldn’t help the look of confusion that crossed his face, which Namjoon clearly caught.“ _Hyung_ is good about coming to us if he’s struggling.We trust him.”

“He’s in a good place right now,” Seokjin added.“Don’t worry, Changkyun- _ah_ … we keep an eye on each other in this pack.If Yoongi- _yah_ was in trouble, we would know about it.He just has a lot on his plate, and he needs us to give him space to deal with everything.”


	36. Yoongi

Changkyun scratched out the answer on his paper, sighing as he leaned back against the sofa and dropped his pencil onto the paper.“I don’t get this…” he muttered, reaching up to rub at his eyes.He’d been sitting at the table in the living room for a few hours, working on some of the math problems Namjoon had assigned for him to practice before their next actual tutoring session until his eyes felt as though they were on fire.Hyunwoo had insisted that his lessons with Namjoon continue if Changkyun wanted them, even if he was staying with Namjoon’s pack; even though Changkyun wasn’t _seeing_ the members of the elder Alpha’s pack, he was still talking with all of them on a regular basis and Hyunwoo was still making sure that he had everything he needed. 

Hyunwoo had been quick to assure Changkyun that nothing about his pack’s feelings had changed, even after Changkyun had run away from Minhyuk.They all knew that Changkyun was going through something they couldn’t understand, and all any of them cared about was whether or not Changkyun was okay.It had been a relief to sit down with the Alpha and hear that everyone was concerned about him, and that no one was angry.Knowing that the other pack loved him, and that he had their blessing to stay with Namjoon’s pack while he was sorting through everything going on in his head, had helped significantly.Although he still wasn’t quite ready to actually _see_ Minhyuk’s swollen belly in person, Changkyun was coming to terms with the fact that his _hyung_ was pregnant, and Changkyun would _have_ to deal with that situation until the pups were born.

“You look like you could use a break.”Changkyun looked up as Yoongi sat down on the sofa, holding out a can of soda for Changkyun to take.Changkyun had barely seen the oldest Alpha in Namjoon’s pack, given the fact that Yoongi worked the strangest combination of hours Changkyun had ever seen, but he had come to realize that the older man wasn’t nearly as scary as Changkyun had originally thought.“You’ve been working on that longer than Jimin- _ah_ usually spends working on his schoolwork… you must be tired.”

“I have a lot of catching up to do, Yoongi- _ssi_ ,” Changkyun replied.

“Namjoon- _ah_ filled me in a little bit about your situation,” the Alpha replied, nodding as he leaned back and opened his own can of soda.Changkyun popped his can open as well, and took a sip.“We have a lot of things in common, you know.”

Changkyun nodded.“Namjoon- _hyung_ told me a little bit,” he replied.

“I said it was okay… I figured it might help you to have someone to talk to that knows what it’s like from your side of things…” Yoongi commented.“How are you doing, anyway?Other than being frustrated by math.”

“It’s a distraction,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“The schoolwork.It helps me not think about everything.”

“Distractions can be good, in the short term.But you can’t avoid your problems forever.At some point, you have to work on what’s upsetting you, so that you can get better,” Yoongi replied.

“The therapist I’m seeing doesn’t exactly agree with the idea of looking for distractions.But she said the same thing about working on problems, to try to get better,” Changkyun commented.“I haven’t really made a lot of progress on that, though.”

“It takes time,” Yoongi replied.“It really isn’t easy… I’ve been working on my issues for years, and I still struggle.For me, it’s more about my brain chemistry than anything that’s actually happened to me.I’m on medication for it, but sometimes that isn’t even enough…”

Changkyun nodded.“I’ve been on medication for a few weeks…”

“It probably isn’t even fully working yet, if it’s only been a few weeks,” Yoongi replied.“It takes time for the medication to really get to therapeutic levels in your system… and you’re probably still building up to the actual dose you need.You just have to stick with it, so that the medication _can_ get to the point that it’s working.”

Changkyun took a long sip of his drink, before he spoke again.“Did something happen to you?Something that made you depressed?” Changkyun asked.

“No… I was depressed on and off from the time I was a teenager,” Yoongi replied.“For me, it’s caused by a chemical imbalance in my brain.The only thing I can do is stick with the therapy and my medication, and communicate with my pack when I’m struggling so that they can provide the support I need from them.”

“They really love you,” Changkyun commented, turning to look at the Alpha.

Yoongi smiled.“I know,” he replied.“And I love them, too.This was the right place for me.I found a group of people who can handle the fact that I still struggle with my depression at times, and who love me enough to put up with everything that goes along with it.”There was a moment of silence, before Yoongi spoke again.“It seems like you may have found the same thing, with Hyunwoo- _ssi_ ’s pack.The fact that they’re still supporting you, even though you left and came to stay with us… that says a lot about their feelings for you.”

“I do love them…” Changkyun replied, nodding.“I wanted to join the pack, honestly.We never really talked about it, because everything happened so quickly.But Kihyun- _hyung_ told me that they were seriously considering asking me to join the pack, and that they were more than willing to wait for me to be ready to move forward again…”

“They sound like good people to me,” Yoongi replied.“I won’t tell you what you should do, Changkyun- _ssi_ , because that isn’t my place as an outsider.But my advice is that if I were you, I would join the pack.Obviously, you need to take care of yourself, first.But you’ve already found something with Hyunwoo- _ssi_ ’s pack that most people never find…”

Changkyun nodded, taking another sip from his own drink as Seokjin came into the room, seemingly surprised to see Yoongi sitting there with Changkyun.“How is everything going?” the Beta asked, glancing down at the notebook Changkyun had been working in.

“I think I’m going to have to ask Namjoon- _hyung_ for help with this one… it’s harder than I thought, and I’m not really getting it,” Changkyun admitted.

“You should take a break and do something fun… Taehyung- _ah_ and Jimin- _ah_ won’t be home for a while, but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you wanted to play one of their video games or something,” Seokjin replied.

“I should probably get ready to go get some work done… I have a deadline next week, and it’s still not quite ready,” Yoongi commented, standing up and starting to leave before he turned back to smile at Changkyun.“Don’t stress too much about everything, okay, Changkyun- _ah_?It’ll all work you the way it should.”

Changkyun nodded, sipping the soda again and leaning back against the sofa.

Once Yoongi was gone, Changkyun could see the look of confusion on Seokjin’s face.“Is everything okay?” Changkyun asked.

“I just… did something happen?” Seokjin asked.“Yoongi’s last comment to you…”

Changkyun shook his head.“We were just talking.Yoongi- _ssi_ and I were talking about depression… he was reassuring me that it was normal for me to be struggling at this point, and that it’s all going to be okay.”

Seokjin smiled at Changkyun’s explanation, visibly relaxing.“So everything is okay?”

“It’s fine,” Changkyun replied, nodding.“I’m still struggling, but it’s manageable.I’m not suicidal or anything like that - I’m just still fighting the depression I’ve been dealing with this whole time…”

Changkyun was surprised when Seokjin sank down to sit on the floor next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.Although he knew that Seokjin was affectionate with his _dongsaengs_ , this was the first time that he had physically been on the receiving end of the Beta’s love.“You’re going to be okay, pup.We’ll always be here for you, too… you’re a good kid, and we really like having you here.I know that we aren’t your pack, but this is a safe place for you, whenever you need it.”


	37. Face to Face

Changkyun bit his lip as Seokjin drove back towards the building Hyunwoo’s pack resided in, still uncomfortable with the thought that he was going to have to face Minhyuk for the first time since he’d run away from the elder Omega.But Changkyun knew that it was for the best; he’d discussed it with his therapist the previous day, and the doctor had suggested that it would be good for Changkyun to try to talk to Minhyuk.Seokjin had volunteered to take him, given the fact that Changkyun didn’t really know how to get back home from the other pack’s apartment, and to stay with him if he felt that he needed the Beta’s moral support.

“How are you feeling?” Seokjin asked, as they pulled into the parking garage beneath the building.

“Scared,” Changkyun admitted.“What if he’s angry with me?”

“Why do you think he would be angry?” Seokjin asked, as he pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car so that he could turn to look at Changkyun curiously.“You know that they love you, and they understand that you’re going through a difficult time right now…”

“But I’m being selfish…” Changkyun began, staring down at his lap.

“Taking care of your own needs isn’t selfish, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Seokjin replied, reaching out to take Changkyun’s hand and squeezing it gently.“You know that they understand how difficult all of this has been for you.No one is going to be upset with you for needing to get away from the reminders of everything that you’ve been struggling with.I promise.And you know that you’ll always have us… we’re your friends now, too, and we’ll be here for you if you need us.But I really don’t think there’s going to be a problem.”

Changkyun nodded, taking a deep breath to steel himself for what he needed to do.“Thank you, _hyung_.”

“Any time, pup.Let’s go upstairs before they start to worry, yeah?After you sit down and talk with Minhyuk- _ssi_ , then we can worry about what comes next,” Seokjin replied.

Getting up to the penthouse apartment didn’t take long, although a part of Changkyun wished that it had taken just a little longer so that he would have that extra time to collect himself.He was still nervous as Seokjin rang the doorbell to the apartment for him.Seokjin seemed well aware of the fact that Changkyun was stressed out by the whole situation, and the older man was quick to squeeze his hand and smile to reassure him that everything would be okay.

“Changkyun- _ah_ …”Kihyun was quick to move to give Changkyun a hug as soon as he opened the door to the main section of the apartment.It was somewhat shocking, as the older man wrapped his arms around Changkyun and held him close for a moment, wrapping them both in the strong scent of the Beta’s happy pheromones.“How are you doing, pup?You’re looking good…” Kihyun began, as he stepped back and took a good look at Changkyun.Changkyun knew that he had put on a bit of weight, and that he was finally starting to get healthy.

“I feel good… Jin- _hyung_ has been feeding me well, just like you do, and everyone has been really kind and supportive,” Changkyun replied, motioning to the elder Beta who had moved to stand back slightly so that they could have their moment.

“Thank you, Seokjin- _ssi_ , for everything that your pack is doing for Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Kihyun replied, bowing to the elder Beta.“Please, come in.Would you like some tea, or something else to drink?”

“Some water would be nice, thank you,” Seokjin replied.“Honestly, we’ve enjoyed having Changkyun- _ah_ in our home for the past week or so.It’s been nice to have some company during the day, and he’s a great Omega…”

“He really is.We’ve missed Changkyun- _ah_ around here,” Kihyun replied.

Changkyun couldn’t help blushing as the two Betas spoke about him.“ _Hyungs_ …”

“Don’t worry, Changkyun- _ah_.We won’t embarrass you any more,” Kihyun commented.“Minhyuk- _ah_ is in the nest, if you want to talk to him alone.Or I can have him come out here if you’d be more comfortable?”

“I’ll go to him,” Changkyun answered, biting down on his lip for a moment.“ _Hyung_ … is Minhyuk- _hyung_ upset?”

“He’s mostly worried about you,” Kihyun replied softly.“We’ll be in the kitchen, if either of you need anything.”Changkyun nodded, before heading to the nest on the far end of the apartment so that he could deal with the mess his emotional reaction to Minhyuk’s pregnancy had caused.

Changkyun knocked on the door to the nest when he arrived, even though it was open and he could see Minhyuk sitting propped up with a stack of pillows on the bed.The elder Omega smiled when he looked up from his phone to see Changkyun standing in the doorway.“You don’t have to knock, Changkyun- _ah_ … you can come in,” Minhyuk commented, patting the bed next to him to indicate that he wanted Changkyun to sit down next to him.

“How are you feeling, _hyung_?” Changkyun asked, as he made his way over to the other man’s side and sat down, still uncomfortable with the whole situation.

“Uncomfortable.They put me on bed rest during my appointment on Monday, because I’ve been having contractions,” Minhyuk replied.“They haven’t been bad since I’ve been in bed, but if they keep up or get worse they might decide to hospitalize me for the rest of the pregnancy…”

Changkyun couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty about what he was hearing.The idea that the stress of his leaving might have caused problems in Minhyuk’s pregnancy was almost enough to make him break down.“ _Mianheyo_ , Minhyuk- _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied softly, tentatively reaching out towards the elder Omega. 

The older man seemed to realize that Changkyun wasn’t comfortable, and Minhyuk almost immediately grabbed Changkyun’s hand and squeezed it gently.“You don’t owe me any apologies, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Minhyuk replied softly.“If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me.I knew that you were struggling, and I should have been more careful in how I approached you about what was going on.I could tell that you weren’t doing well with my questions, but I kept pushing you… I should be the one apologizing to you, not the other way around.”

“You were just worried about me…” Changkyun began.

“I was.But that doesn’t excuse the way I handled things,” Minhyuk replied.“I’m sorry for pushing too much.I didn’t want to hurt you or upset you.I just really wanted to be sure that you were okay.”

Changkyun nodded.“I know, _hyung_.”

Changkyun closed his eyes as Minhyuk pulled him in for a hug, pressing a kiss against the top of his head.“I love you, Changkyun- _ah_.”

“I love you, too, _hyung_.”Changkyun closed his eyes as he rested his head against the elder Omega’s chest, taking in the man’s scent and just enjoying being allowed to be so close to the elder Omega.“I’m going to come home soon.I still need a little more time to process everything, but I feel a lot better now that we’ve talked.”

“Take the time you need, pup.We all love you, and we’ll be ready when you decide that it’s time to come home.”Changkyun nodded, smiling at the man’s understanding.“Do you want to hang out for a while?We could watch something on YouTube…”

“I’d like that, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, moving so that he could curl up on the mattress next to the older man as Minhyuk set up the laptop and navigated to the website so that they could choose something to watch.

Changkyun didn’t remember falling asleep, with his head resting against the elder Omega’s shoulder as they watched some ridiculous, mindless YouTube video.He had been comfortable, laying there next to Minhyuk and just enjoying their time together in a way that he hadn’t been able to since his miscarriage.

The next thing Changkyun really knew was a hand gently shaking him awake.He could feel a slight, nagging pain in his back, but it was almost unnoticeable as he lay there in Minhyuk’s arms.“Changkyun- _ah_ , you need to wake up, pup,” Kihyun’s voice commented softly, as the Beta gently stroked a hand through his hair.“I need you to talk to me.”

“Huh?” Changkyun asked, forcing his eyes open and turning to look at the Beta in confusion.“What’s going on?”

“You’ve started pre-heat, pup,” Kihyun explained.The Beta’s words brought Changkyun to reality quickly, and he hurried to sit up and move away from Minhyuk for fear that the elder Omega would somehow be hurt by his current situation.“Hey, hey… it’s okay.I just need you to talk to me.Seokjin- _ssi_ and I need to know whether you want to be here, or if you would rather go back with him.”

Changkyun was surprised to see Seokjin standing next to the bed, watching everything going on.“It’s your decision, pup… you’re always welcome to come back to our apartment at any time, whether you stay here today or decide you’d rather spend your heat with us.But we need to know what you want to do, because we don’t want to risk having you actually go into heat on the trip back down the street,” Seokjin explained with a slight smile on his face.

Changkyun glanced over at Minhyuk, unsure of what he should do.“Minhyuk- _hyung_ needs the nest…” he began.

“No, I don’t,” Minhyuk replied.“There’s another bedroom down the hall I can use until your heat ends, if you’d feel more comfortable staying here.I’m not completely confined to this bed, and I can still stay with you and cuddle until your heat actually starts.”

“You don’t have to worry about it, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Kihyun replied, squeezing Changkyun’s hand quickly.“Whatever you decide, we’ll all support you and do whatever we need to do to make sure you’re comfortable.”


	38. Close

Changkyun whimpered softly as he felt someone moving him away from Minhyuk, until the strong scent of Hyunwoo filled his nose and he immediately turned towards the Alpha’s warmth.The Alpha was quick to wrap his arms around Changkyun, letting his hand gently press against his forehead for a brief moment.“He’s definitely starting to run warm… did you get any medication into him before he fell asleep?” Hyunwoo asked softly.

“All of the usual meds that Minhyuk- _ah_ and Jooheon- _ah_ take,” Kihyun replied.“I don’t know if the birth control is going to do any good… it failed him last time.But I gave it to him anyway, in hopes that it was just all of the medications he’d been on before that cause the failure.But you guys need to be careful this time, and we need to make sure we do everything we can to prevent a pregnancy.I don’t know how he would handle getting pregnant, with the way things are right now.”

“I don’t want to find out how he would handle that… has he eaten anything yet?” Hyunwoo asked.

“ _Yah_ … Son Hyunwoo- _ssi_.Do you really think that I would ever let our _maknae_ go without food when he’s about to go into heat?”Changkyun could hear the annoyance in the Beta’s voice.“Of course I fed him.Changkyun- _ah_ ate well, and he’s had plenty of water.And I’m going to feed him again before things get bad if I can, because I actually _do_ know what Omegas need before they go into heat.”

“I’m sorry, Kihyun- _ah_ ,” Hyunwoo replied.“I have a pregnant Omega and an Omega going into heat in my pack’s nest right now.It’s a little overwhelming to try and focus on so many needs at once.I didn’t mean to insult your abilities as a Beta… I just needed to be reassured that his needs have been met, because my instinct is to protect everyone and I can only do so many things at one time.”

Kihyun sighed.“I didn’t mean to snap,” Kihyun replied.“It’s just… I’ve been taking care of everyone for years.And as much as I love it, it’s been a hard few months with Minhyuk- _ah_ ’s pregnancy and everything that’s happened with Changkyun- _ah_ ’s health.I know that you weren’t actually blaming me for anything, but it felt like you were questioning my ability to fulfill my role as a Beta within the pack.”

“You’re good at that role, Kihyun- _ah_ ,” Hyunwoo replied.“I never meant to imply that you weren’t.And I’m sorry that the burden has been placed almost entirely on you…”

“It’s only for another year or so.Once Hyungwon- _ah_ finishes school, he’ll be around more to help out,” Kihyun replied.“I’m going to go make something for Changkyun- _ah_ to eat when he wakes up.Text me when he’s awake?”

“Will do,” Hyunwoo replied, rubbing Changkyun’s back in small circles.“Do you want me to wake him up at a certain time if he hasn’t woken up yet?”

“No, let him sleep for as long as you can.He needs the rest, with what’s about to happen to his body,” Kihyun commented.“I can keep whatever I make warm until he’s ready to eat.Just don’t let him get too far gone, because I do want to get some food in his stomach before everything really gets started.”

Changkyun curled up against Hyunwoo’s side and tried to go back to sleep, but his body had other plans.He sighed, squirming slightly in the Alpha’s arms before turning to look up at the older man’s face and blinking a few times to clear the sleep from his eyes.“Hey, pup… how are you feeling?”

“Okay right now,” Changkyun replied.“Being close helps…”

“I know,” Hyunwoo commented, leaning down to press a soft kiss against Changkyun’s forehead.“I’m glad that you’re here… thank you for trusting us enough to stay here during your heat, even after everything that’s happened.”

“I _want_ to be here,” Changkyun replied, moving so that he was closer to the older man.“I don’t want to spend my heat with anyone else.I wouldn’t want to share any of this with anyone outside of this pack.”

“Even someone from Namjoon- _ssi_ ’s pack?” Hyunwoo asked softly.

“I like Namjoon- _hyung_ ’s pack, but they aren’t the right pack for me,” Changkyun replied.“They are good friends, and I really like them.But those feelings are different than what I feel for all of you.”

Changkyun could see a smile spreading across Hyunwoo’s face.“You have no idea how much I was hoping to hear that,” Hyunwoo replied.“You’re special to us, pup.And we want you to join our pack just as much as you want to join us.It’s your decision on when you’re ready for that to happen - we aren’t going to push you to be ready or anything like that.The decision to join a pack isn’t one to be taken lightly, and we don’t want you to regret anything.”

“Thank you, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun commented, moving to rest his head on the Alpha’s chest.

“I’m going to let Kihyun- _ah_ know that you’re awake… he wants to make sure that you eat something else before you actually go into heat, so that we don’t have to worry about your health while everything else is going on.”

“But you’ll stay, right?” Changkyun asked softly.

“Of course,” Hyunwoo replied.

Changkyun didn’t really pay much attention to what was going on as Hyunwoo texted Kihyun about the fact that he was awake.All he really wanted to focus on was the warmth of the Alpha’s body and the older man’s pleasant scent, because it was comforting to be so close to the Alpha again after having been away for a while.It wasn’t until he felt the bed shifting behind him that Changkyun even realized someone else had come into the room.

“You’re home…” Hyungwon commented, wrapping an arm around Changkyun’s waist from behind.“I didn’t know that you were coming home today, pup…”

“Wasn’t really planned,” Changkyun replied, relaxing into the Beta’s arms, too.“I was just supposed to talk to Minhyuk- _hyung_ … but then I started to go into heat…”

“ _Aish_ … poor pup.Are you going to be okay?” Hyungwon asked.

“Changkyun- _ah_ chose to stay here instead of going back to Namjoon- _ssi_ ’s apartment for his heat,” Hyunwoo explained softly.“We’re going to take care of him, and once he’s finished with his heat it will be Changkyun- _ah_ ’s decision whether he goes back to their apartment for a little while longer or if he moves back in with us.Whatever makes Changkyun- _ah_ comfortable is what we’ll do.”

“I may not be back right away, but I am going to move back home soon,” Changkyun added.“I’m getting better… I just might need a little more time to finish working through everything after my heat ends.But Minhyuk- _hyung_ and I talked about what happened and I’m feeling a lot better about coming home now.”

“And we’re going to be here to support you, no matter what happens,” Hyunwoo commented, as he squeezed Changkyun’s shoulders gently.“Hyungwon- _ah_ , will you stay with him for a few minutes while I run change out of my work clothes?I took him from Minhyuk- _ah_ without thinking about the fact that a suit wasn’t the best choice of clothing for cuddling, which is exactly what Changkyun- _ah_ needs right now…”

“I can do that.That way I can have some time alone with our _maknae_ ,” Hyungwon replied, moving to press against Changkyun’s back a bit more, so that he would be less likely to miss the Alpha’s presence.The Beta was quick to let his hand rest against Changkyun’s lower belly, massaging at the area where most of Changkyun’s discomfort was centered.

“Just don’t trigger his heat, okay?We still want to feed him again, and I don’t want anything to go wrong with this heat,” Hyunwoo commented, as the Alpha leaned over to press a soft kiss against Changkyun’s forehead.“Rest for now, pup.We’re going to take good care of you.”


	39. Heat

Changkyun whimpered softly as he felt Hyunwoo rubbing a hand across his back.“I think he’s close…” the Alpha commented softly, as he shifted Changkyun’s weight so that Changkyun was leaning against the Alpha’s chest.The discomfort was beginning to dissipate, which Changkyun knew meant that it wouldn’t be long before he was fully in heat.

“I can handle the first wave, if you want.”Changkyun opened his eyes slowly at the sound of Hoseok’s voice, surprised to realize that both Alphas were there with him until he turned to see the younger Alpha standing next to the bed behind him.

“I think that should be Changkyun’s decision,” Hyunwoo replied, squeezing Changkyun’s shoulders in a gentle hug as he spoke.“What do you want, pup?It’s up to you…”

Changkyun couldn’t help feeling conflicted; he really didn’t know who he wanted to be with him, because he loved both of the Alphas.They were both good to him, and they had taken good care of him during his first heat and through everything else that had happened in his time with the pack.Changkyun knew that he _should_ have a preference, but the truth was that he really didn’t.“I don’t know…” Changkyun began, suddenly feeling stressed out by his inability to choose one Alpha over the other.He couldn’t help the tears that began stinging at his eyes, even as Hoseok moved to stroke a hand through his hair.

“Hey… it’s okay, pup,” the younger Alpha commented softly.“Would you rather one of us choose for you?We don’t want you to be upset when your heat starts.”

“Please,” Changkyun replied, reaching up to try and wipe away the tears that were forming before they could fall.

“I’ll take care of him for the first round this time,” Hyunwoo commented.“You’re going to be good for me, aren’t you, pup?”Changkyun nodded, taking a deep breath and curling into the elder man’s side a bit further.“Is that okay with you, Hoseok- _ah_?”

“That’s fine.All that matters is that we have this guy taken care of,” Hoseok replied, rubbing Changkyun’s back for a moment before he leaned down to press a kiss on Changkyun’s temple.“I’m going to go get some work done.I’ll be back later, pup.”

Changkyun nodded as Hyunwoo reached up to play with his hair, whimpering as the sensation of his clothing against his skin became too much.“ _Hyung_ …” Changkyun began.

“I’ve got you,” Hyunwoo replied, moving to help Changkyun get more comfortable as everything got started.

By the time Changkyun’s heat had fully hit, Hyunwoo had them both naked and the Alpha was gently massaging his lower abdomen to get Changkyun’s body to create slick so that Hyunwoo could actually take care of him properly.Changkyun whimpered at the sensation, arching up into the man’s touch.“Please, _hyung_ …” Changkyun begged, hoping that the Alpha would move a bit faster.

“Shh… just a little longer, pup, and then I’ll take care of all of your needs.I promise,” Hyunwoo commented, pressing a bit harder against Changkyun’s belly.Changkyun couldn’t help squirming under the man’s touch, thankful when the Alpha finally moved to check whether or not he was producing enough slick to actually get started.“We’re going to draw this out as long as possible today… I don’t want the waves to come so quickly this time around.But it’s going to feel so good, pup.Do you trust me?”Changkyun nodded, moaning softly as Hyunwoo carefully pressed one finger through the ring of muscles at his entrance.

The Alpha was careful with him, slowly making sure that his body would stretch to accommodate the sheer size of the Alpha’s knot.Just the memory of Hyunwoo’s cock during his previous heat was enough to make Changkyun whimper in anticipation.He was distracted from his thoughts, however, by the sensation of the Alpha wrapping his free hand around Changkyun’s cock.“ _Hyung_ …” Changkyun whined, arching into the man’s hand. 

“Shh, pup… I’ve got you.”Changkyun closed his eyes as he elder man stroked his cock, adding a second finger as Changkyun felt the pleasure starting to build low in his belly.“That’s my good boy… opening up so well for my knot.I bet you could take my whole fist…”

“Please, _hyung_ …” Changkyun began.

“You like the sound of that, don’t you, pup?” Hyunwoo asked.Changkyun nodded quickly, groaning as the Alpha added a third finger.

Changkyun lost track of what was going on as the Alpha continued prepping him for what was still to come, too overwhelmed by the sensations to even fully know what was happening until he was coming in thick spurts across his belly.He couldn’t help whimpering at the sensation of Hyunwoo’s fingers stroking against his prostate even after his orgasm was over, knowing that they were still a long way from being done.“ _Hyung_ … are you really going to… _oh_ …”Changkyun couldn’t finish his sentence as he felt Hyunwoo gently adding a fourth finger to stretch Changkyun open.Despite his recent orgasm, Changkyun could feel his cock starting to grow hard again.

“I’m going to make you feel so good, pup,” Hyunwoo commented softly, moving in to press a soft kiss against Changkyun’s lips.“Just a little while longer, and then I’ll give you exactly what you want…”

The feeling of four fingers stretching him open was intense, but the addition of Hyunwoo’s thumb was almost too much and Changkyun found himself coming again, although this time there wasn’t much of anything to his orgasm.“Fuck… fuck, _hyung_ …”

“I’ve got you, pup,” Hyunwoo replied softly, as Changkyun felt the Alpha’s hand pressing against his prostate as Changkyun’s body spasmed around it.Hyunwoo held him close, kissing Changkyun until his body calmed down enough so that Changkyun could breathe somewhat normally.“You okay, pup?”

Changkyun nodded, although his body was still craving the Alpha’s knot.“I’m just… I _need_ your knot, Alpha…” Changkyun finally managed to reply. 

The Alpha smiled, leaning in to kiss Changkyun again.“Of course, pup.”

Changkyun couldn’t help whimpering as Hyunwoo carefully removed his hand, using Changkyun’s slick to stroke his own cock to full hardness before he lined it up with Changkyun’s entrance and slid in slowly.Given how well he’d been prepped, it was much easier than he’d expected for the Alpha to slide all the way in.Changkyun closed his eyes, just enjoying the sensation of the Alpha’s cock finally filling him so completely.“Please, _hyung_ , I need your knot…”

Hyunwoo didn’t respond, instead choosing to start slowly thrusting until he was sure that Changkyun was completely ready for his knot.The Alpha was soon increasing his speed, thrusting with more force until he was consistently hitting Changkyun’s prostate and making him moan out random syllables that even Changkyun himself couldn’t quite make out.The Alpha’s knot was starting to grow, and Changkyun could feel it catching on his rim for a few thrusts before Hyunwoo pushed all the way home so that his knot could fill Changkyun and finally satisfy his needs.

The Alpha’s knot was just as big as Changkyun remembered, and the way it pressed against his prostate brought him quickly to his own orgasm again.Changkyun didn’t fight the sensation, letting it wash over him over and over again until Hyunwoo’s knot finally began to slowly deflate.

Changkyun was exhausted by the time Hyunwoo was able to pull his softening cock out, but he sighed in relief as he realized that at least the first wave of his heat had been sated by the Alpha’s attention.“ _Aish_ … _hyung_ , that felt so good…” Changkyun muttered.

“Mmm… you’re so good for me, pup,” Hyunwoo replied, leaning in to press a kiss against Changkyun’s lips again.“You should rest for now… this is just the beginning, and I want you to have a good experience this time around.We’re going to take good care of you.”


	40. Aftershocks

Changkyun couldn’t help whimpering as he shifted uncomfortably on the bed.He really wasn’t sure what was going on with his body; the fever caused by his heat had broken the night before, and that was supposed to mean that he was done for that cycle.Unfortunately, his body seemed to have not gotten the memo that his heat was over because his temperature had been steadily climbing since he’d woken up and he was extremely uncomfortable again.Changkyun was already exhausted after an exceptionally long heat, and he knew that he would be messing up everyone else’s days if his body actually went into heat again.

“Changkyun- _ah_?Are you hungry?”Changkyun whimpered as Kihyun turned on the light, turning away from the unexpected brightness.“Changkyun- _ah_?”

“It hurts, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun whimpered, closing his eyes.

“ _Aish_ … what’s the matter?” the Beta asked, moving so that he could press a hand against Changkyun’s forehead.“You’re burning up again, pup…”

“Please, _hyung_ …” Changkyun replied.

Kihyun sighed, leaning down to press a kiss against Changkyun’s forehead.“I think your heat may not have been over this morning like we thought… I’m going to call Hyunwoo- _hyung_ and see if he can come home to take care of you…”

“Don’t leave me, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, grabbing for the Beta’s wrist and tried to get him to stay close as Kihyun turned to start to leave the room.

“Okay, pup,” Kihyun replied, moving to sit next to Changkyun on the bed and letting the Omega curl up against his side.“I’m going to try to get Hyunwoo- _hyung_ on the phone, okay?I know that there are some important meetings happening today, but we’re going to figure out how to take care of you through all of this.”

Having Kihyun rubbing his back was comforting, and Changkyun closed his eyes and did his best to just focus on the fact that Kihyun was there and that he would get some relief soon.There were two aborted attempts at calling the Alphas directly, but neither one had their phones on and Kihyun was forced to call into the office’s direct line.

“Hyunmin- _ssi_ , it’s Kihyun.Is Hyunwoo- _ssi_ available?”There was a long moment of silence, before Kihyun spoke again.“What about Hoseok- _ssi_?Do you know where he is?”After another prolonged silence, Kihyun sighed.“Is there any way you could give them a message right now?It’s urgent…”After third, shorter moment of silence Kihyun shook his head, stopping what he was doing to comfort Changkyun.“No, no, I understand.Do me a favor, though - as soon as they’re available, let them know that I need one of them to call me.Immediately.”

Changkyun looked up at Kihyun as the Beta sighed, before looking at his phone and typing out a quick text message before putting the phone down and moving so that he could lay down next to Changkyun and cuddle him properly.“They aren’t available?” Changkyun asked, suddenly feeling as though everything was spinning out of control because he couldn’t have his Alphas with him during this portion of his heat.

“They’re both in a meeting at another company, and Hyunmin- _ssi_ doesn’t have a way to contact them until the meeting is over,” Kihyun replied.“But don’t worry about it, pup.I’m going to take care of you, and I’ve already put a message in the group chat so that anyone else who might be available can come help hold you over until one of the Alphas is available.Is that okay with you?”Changkyun nodded, thankful that Kihyun had a plan despite the fact that the whole situation was completely unexpected.“Good… let’s get you out of these pajamas, so that you can be more comfortable.”

Kihyun was gentle with Changkyun, talking Changkyun through everything that the Beta did as he carefully removed the fabric from his body.It was so different from the two Alphas of the pack; although they were never rough with him unless he asked for it, they weren’t nearly as gentle as Kihyun was being with him.There were soft kisses being peppered around his torso before the Beta wrapped a hand loosely around his cock.“Please, _hyung_ …”

“Shh… I’ve got you, pup,” Kihyun replied, moving up so that he could press his lips against Changkyun’s own to silence his protests and distract him for a few moments as the Beta moved his hand to start massaging his lower abdomen to try and get the slick to start flowing again.“You’re going to be just fine.Just trust me.I’m going to take good care of you until one of our Alphas gets here to get you through this.”

Changkyun just moaned softly as Kihyun pressed a bit harder against his belly, thoroughly enjoying the older man’s ministrations even as he felt the slick beginning to wet the sheets beneath him.Kihyun seemed to notice, and the Beta moved a hand down between Changkyun’s legs to gently tease at his entrance with a finger.“ _Hyung_ …”

“I know, pup.You’re already doing so well.But we need to take things slow, so that you aren’t too tired when our Alphas get here.”Kihyun’s words made sense, but Changkyun couldn’t stop himself from trying to move his hips so that the Beta’s finger would actually breach his entrance.“ _Yah_ … if you’re going to be like that I’m not going to touch you like this,” Kihyun warned.“Be patient, pup.I’m right here, and I’m going to make sure that you feel good through all of this.”

Changkyun let himself get lost in the pleasure that Kihyun’s hands brought, even though it was just not quite enough to completely deal with his needs in that moment.What he needed was an Alpha’s knot, but Kihyun wasn’t able to give him that.Still, the Beta made him feel good as he carefully made sure that Changkyun was properly prepped for whatever would happen next.Although Kihyun’s hands were smaller than any of the other members of the pack that Changkyun had fooled around with, his aim was dead-on when the Beta tried to find Changkyun’s prostate.The rush of pleasure was intense, and he moaned loudly as he felt his cock beginning to leak precum just from the first time the Beta’s fingers brushed against the bundle of nerves.“Fuck, _hyung_ …” Changkyun commented, when he was finally able to get the words out of his mouth.

“Does it feel good, pup?” Kihyun asked.

“Y-your cock would feel better, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, whimpering as Kihyun rubbed his fingers against the bundle again.

“We’ll get there… I want you to tell me before you come, pup,” Kihyun instructed, keeping his finger against Changkyun’s prostate.Changkyun nodded in agreement, moaning as the Beta applied a little more pressure.“Tell me that you’re going to say it, pup.I want to hear your voice.”

“I’ll tell you, _hyung_ …” Changkyun replied.

The Beta smiled.“That’s my good pup.”Kihyun gave Changkyun another kiss, before he moved to actually give Changkyun what he wanted.

Kihyun wasn’t nearly as big as either of the Alphas, but it was at least enough to help calm Changkyun’s urge for something to give him some relief from the intense _need_ he felt due to his heat.It wouldn’t be enough, Changkyun knew; eventually, he would need something more.But at that moment, Kihyun’s slow, lazy thrusts were enough to keep Changkyun from crying in frustration due to the need for an Alpha’s knot.

Although it was slow and gentle, Kihyun’s thrusts were angled just right so that his tip was hitting Changkyun’s prostate every time.He was still unsure of how the Beta could find it so easily, but Changkyun definitely wasn’t going to complain even as he found himself starting to want _more_.“ _Hyung_ … harder, please…”

“Whatever you want, pup,” Kihyun replied, snapping his hips against Changkyun with a bit more force.The sensation made Changkyun moan loudly again, just as the door to the room opened and Hyungwon walked in.

“ _Yah_ … you started the fun without me?” the other Beta asked, shutting the door and moving towards the bed.Hyungwon leaned in to give Changkyun a quick kiss as Kihyun kept up his pace.“You look so good spread out for him, pup… you’re taking Kihyun- _hyung_ so well…”

The praise was almost enough to send Changkyun over the edge, and he moaned as Hyungwon stroked a hand through his hair.“Close…” Changkyun commented, as Kihyun kept hitting just the right spot.He whimpered as he felt someone wrapping a hand around his cock, stroking a couple of times until he found himself coming without a chance to even say what was happening.

Kihyun had stilled his hips as Changkyun came, although the Beta’s cock was still inside him as he started to come down from his high.As predicted, it wasn’t enough - Changkyun still needed an Alpha’s knot to fully satiate his needs - but it at least managed to calm his desire enough so that he could hold out a bit longer without being completely overwhelmed by his heat.

“Hoseok- _hyung_ just texted that he’s leaving the meeting and heading home now… Hyunwoo- _hyung_ isn’t able to leave, but he’ll be home as soon as he can just in case Hoseok- _hyung_ needs some backup,” Hyungwon commented, as Changkyun opened his eyes.The younger of the two Betas was quick to put his phone away, smiling down at Changkyun again.“You’re so good for us, pup… we’re all going to take such good care of you.”


	41. Au Revoir

“You have everything, Kyunnie?” Seokjin asked, as Changkyun zipped closed the bag Kihyun had used to bring his clothes over the first night he’d been with Namjoon’s pack.Although there had been multiple trips back and forth over his last week staying with his new friends, there were still things that he had been keeping at their apartment that he needed to take home with him.

“I think so,” Changkyun replied, turning to smile at the older man.“If there’s anything I forgot, I can always come back to get it, now that I know where you guys live.”

“Or you can just come back to visit whenever you want, because you’re our friend,” Seokjin commented, reaching out to pull Changkyun into a quick hug.“I’m going to miss you, pup.Promise me that you’re going to come back and visit?”

“I promise, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, enjoying the Beta’s open affection.“I should go, though… Hoseok- _hyung_ is waiting for me, and I still need to say goodbye to the others.”

Changkyun took his bag and threw it over his shoulder, before following the Beta out into the living room where the rest of Namjoon’s pack was waiting for him to say their goodbyes.Changkyun could see that Jimin had tears in his eyes, and he hurried straight towards the eldest Omega to give the boy a tight hug.“I’m not going away forever, _hyung_.I’m just going home,” Changkyun commented.“We can still hang out.You have my number, and I have yours.We’ll still be friends, right?”

“Right,” Jimin replied, as Changkyun finally broke the hug so that the elder could wipe the tears from his eyes.“But I’m going to miss cuddling with you…”

“We’ll have sleepovers, then,” Taehyung suggested, as the other Omega moved in to get a hug of his own.“You can still come visit us and spend the night whenever you want…”

“I know, _hyung_.But for now I need to spend some time with the pack I’m going to join,” Changkyun replied, before moving on to hug Hoseok and Namjoon. 

Yoongi was last, and the eldest Alpha had a smirk on his face when Changkyun finally approached him.“You’re going to be fine, kid.Take care of yourself, yeah?Take your meds, see your therapist, and let your _hyungs_ know if you need anything.Any of us, not just the ones in Hyunwoo- _ssi_ ’s pack.”

“I will, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, smiling at the older man.“Thank you, _hyung_.”

“Now get out of here.I want to go back to bed, and I’m sure your pack wants to have you home,” Yoongi replied, with one last hug.

A few minutes later Changkyun found himself climbing into the front of the car Hoseok typically drove, smiling at the Alpha as he buckled his seatbelt.“You’ve gotten everything?”

“I think so,” Changkyun replied.“I can always come back to visit if I forgot anything.I _want_ to come back to visit sometimes.”

“Then you’ll come back and visit when you have the chance,” Hoseok replied, reaching out and squeezing Changkyun’s knee gently.“Let’s get you home, okay?Everyone is waiting for you, and Kihyun- _ah_ is making something special for dinner to officially welcome you home.”

The drive through the city back to their apartment building wasn’t excessively long, but it seemed to drag on forever for Changkyun despite the fact that he’d made the same trip several times since his heat had ended.It had taken him a few days to be sure that he was ready to go back home permanently, even though he had been happy during his heat and the brief recovery period he’d needed before he’d been well enough to go back to Namjoon’s pack.This time, however, was different.He was going _home_ , and he was going to stay.Not only that, but he and Hyunwoo had talked about it and decided that he would take the pack bite in a few days, once things were more settled.Despite the fact that he knew it was still a few days away, Changkyun couldn’t help being nervous.

“You’re getting all antsy for nothing… everyone is going to be happy to see you come home,” Hoseok replied.“You know how thrilled we were when you chose to stay with us through your heat… we were starting to worry that you weren’t going to come home to us when you’d been gone for so long.”

“I’m sorry for staying away so long… I just needed the time to clear my head,” Changkyun replied.“Everything makes a lot more sense now.And I know what I need to do.”

Changkyun felt the Alpha take his hand, squeezing it gently.“I know.And we’re going to make sure that you never regret choosing our pack.We love you, and we want you to be happy, pup.We’re going to make sure that you’re happy, or at least as happy as we can make you,” Hoseok replied.

“What if I want to try to have a pup again?” Changkyun asked softly.

“When you’re ready, then we’ll try again,” Hoseok replied, letting his hand move to Changkyun’s belly.“I want to see your belly swell with our pups.But not until you’re ready to take that step.Minhyuk- _ah_ and Jooheon- _ah_ are in control of when they conceive, and we intend to give you the same respect.The fact that you conceived during your first heat… we had no intention of that happening to you.We never intended for any of this to take place the way it did.”

Changkyun nodded.“I know that, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, taking the Alpha’s hand in his own.“You guys are good to me.Your pack… I’ve never known what it’s like to be loved the way all of you have loved me since I came here.I’m lucky to have all of you.”

Hoseok smiled at Changkyun’s words, and the image made Changkyun feel warm inside.“We really do love you, pup.And we’re all so glad that you’ve chosen to stay with our pack and become one of us,” Hoseok commented, squeezing Changkyun’s hand.“You might want to be prepared to not be alone for a few days, though… you’re going to have people wanting to be close to you and cuddle, because none of us were sure whether or not you would come back and it scared us to think that we might never see you again…”

“I wasn’t going to stay away forever,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“I never wanted any of you to feel like I was leaving you forever… I guess I should have explained myself better when I was leaving.But I was so upset by everything going on in my head in that moment that I didn’t know what I was doing…”

“I’m just glad that you’ve been able to work through what’s been happening, and that you’ve started to get better,” Hoseok replied.“I know that it isn’t necessarily going to be easy for you to come home, where everything happened in the first place.But we’re going to be here for you through everything - we just want to make sure that you’re okay, and that you know you can trust us to be here for you through it all.”

Changkyun nodded, smiling.“Thank you, _hyung_.I really appreciate everything you have all done for me.”

The rest of the drive back to the apartment was quiet, although Hoseok didn’t let go of Changkyun’s hand except to make the necessary turns to make it back to the apartment building.It was nice to have that constant physical contact.Despite the fact that Seokjin had been a very tactile person, most of the members of Namjoon’s pack had been more hesitant to engage in physical contact with Changkyun unless he specifically asked for it.And while Changkyun appreciated the respect that they had shown for him, he’d missed the free affection that he’d gotten used to with Hyunwoo’s pack.It was an outward sign of their love for him, and Changkyun loved every moment of it.


	42. Black Out

Changkyun smiled as he felt Jooheon climbing into his bed with him, knowing that the elder Omega wanted to cuddle for a little while before they both had to get up and start their days.It had become part of their routine in the weeks since Changkyun had come home from staying with Namjoon’s pack, because it gave them a chance to talk in private - something that Changkyun found himself enjoying, because it gave him the opportunity to talk through what was going on in his head with the elder Omega.Changkyun trusted Jooheon to tell him the truth, and to talk him down if something he was thinking was ridiculous.Given the fact that the pack had been too busy for Hyunwoo to give him the pack bite yet despite the fact that it had been _weeks_ , Changkyun had found the elder Omega’s level head helpful on more than one occasion.They had only missed their morning meetings during Jooheon’s heat, although Changkyun had spent as much time with the other Omega as possible throughout the whole process.

“How are you feeling?” Jooheon asked that morning, wrapping his arms loosely around Changkyun’s waist.

“Fine,” Changkyun replied, a little confused by the question.

“No pre-heat symptoms yet?” Jooheon asked, leaning back slightly.It was clear that the elder man was confused about something, too.“You aren’t feeling anything at all?”

“No, _hyung_ … why, should I be?” Changkyun asked.

“Your heat was due a couple of days ago…” Jooheon began, starting to sit up.“We’ve all been wondering when you would start going into heat again, but you haven’t had any symptoms at all… I’m just starting to get concerned that something might be wrong.”

“Maybe my body is just still trying to recover from all of the weird things it’s been through in the past few years…” Changkyun began.“With all of the suppressants I was taking, and then everything that happened with the miscarriage… maybe it’s still just completely screwing everything up…”

“I know that it isn’t something you probably want to think about, since you weren’t trying to get pregnant during your last heat… but maybe you should take a test,” Jooheon replied, moving his hand so that it rested gently on Changkyun’s lower abdomen.“I don’t want you to feel pressured, but it would make me feel better about everything if you were sure that wasn’t the case.I know that it’s probably not something you want to think about, but it’s a possibility…”

Changkyun was surprised, pulling away slightly from the older man so that he could get a better look at Jooheon’s face.“ _Hyung_ … are you serious?” Changkyun asked.

“I know that it sounds a little far-fetched, but I’m worried about you…” Jooheon answered.“If you _are_ pregnant again…”

“I’m _not_ ,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“I took the contraceptives the doctor prescribed… I _can’t_ be pregnant this time.”

“And you did that during your first heat, too,” Jooheon commented, moving to sit up a little bit.“I know that it sounds ludicrous… but really, Changkyun- _ah_ , is it that hard to believe that it might have happened to you again?”

Changkyun closed his eyes, sighing and moving away from the elder man slightly.“I don’t want to know,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“I want to be part of the pack before I get pregnant again.And if I _am_ somehow already expecting, which I doubt, I don’t want to know until Hyunwoo- _hyung_ has given me the bite and I know that I’m going to be part of your pack for the long haul…”

There was a brief moment of silence, before Jooheon sighed, leaning in to press a kiss against his temple.“We aren’t going to abandon you, pup,” Jooheon replied.“We love you… you know that.”

“I know that,” Changkyun replied, curling into Jooheon’s side again.“I just don’t… I want to feel secure.I want to know that I belong.I’ve never been anywhere else that I felt like this, and I don’t want to lose that.”

“Hyunwoo- _hyung_ is going to give you the bite - you know that,” Jooheon commented.“I know that he’s been busy, but he isn’t going to just ignore the fact that you asked him to give you the bite already.”

Changkyun took a deep breath.“I’m going to ask him again tonight,” Changkyun replied.“He’s supposed to be home early tonight - I heard him telling Kihyun- _hyung_ last night that things were calming down at work, and that everything would be settled by lunch today.I’m ready to make this happen.”

“I still think you should take a pregnancy test this morning, rather than waiting,” Jooheon replied.“At least think about it, okay?I don’t want you to get blindsided again…”

Changkyun shook his head.“I _won’t_ ,” Changkyun replied, leaning in to cuddle against the elder Omega’s side for a few more minutes before Jooheon had to get up and get ready for school.“I’ll do it tomorrow morning, if Hyunwoo- _hyung_ gives me the bite tonight…”

“Okay,” Jooheon replied, sighing and letting it go for the last few minutes of peace they would have before Kihyun came to make sure that Jooheon was getting up and getting ready for his morning classes.Although Jooheon was an adult - and he was clearly more than capable of getting up in plenty of time to make it to school on time - Kihyun still seemed to think that his regular morning wake-up call was necessary.

“ _Yah_ … Lee Jooheon- _ah_ , you’re going to be late if you don’t get up!”Changkyun couldn’t help chuckling slightly at Jooheon’s overly dramatic groan.“You aren’t off the hook either, Changkyun- _ah_ \- Namjoon- _ssi_ is supposed to come over early today because he has plans with his pack tonight.He’s going to be here in half an hour…”Changkyun sighed, hurrying to get to his feet so that he could at least get dressed before he had to be ready for the day’s lessons. 

Changkyun wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, even as he felt his body breaking out into a cold sweat.He was simultaneously both hot and cold, and both his vision and his hearing went fuzzy for a moment before everything went completely black.Changkyun vaguely felt his legs give way before he completely passed out.

“… let the paramedics in.I’ve got him.”Changkyun felt someone gently shifting his body so that he was leaning against someone’s chest.He could hear the person’s heartbeat hammering against his chest, despite the apparent calm in their voice while they were giving instructions.It took Changkyun a moment to process that it was Hyunwoo’s chest that he was leaning against, even as he slowly opened his eyes. 

Kihyun was kneeling in front of him, placing a cold washcloth against his forehead as Changkyun opened his eyes.“Hey, pup… how are you feeling?”

“What happened?” Changkyun asked, turning so that he could see Hyunwoo watching him from above.“ _Hyung_ … you should be at work…”

“It’s okay,” Hyunwoo replied, shaking his head.“You’re more important than the meetings I have this morning… Hoseok- _ah_ is calling the office to let them know that I’m going to be late, and they’ll rearrange things…”

“I’m okay, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, trying to sit up so that he was no longer resting against the Alpha’s chest despite the fact that he was still feeling a little lightheaded. 

The older man quickly wrapped an arm around Changkyun’s chest, holding him in place.“ _Yah_ … you passed out without warning,” Hyunwoo replied.“Once I’m sure that you’re going to be okay, I’ll go in to work and let Kihyun- _ah_ take care of you.But at the very least, I’m staying with you until the paramedics have checked you out to make sure you really are okay.”

“I’m going to call Namjoon- _ssi_ and let him know that we need to cancel Changkyun- _ah_ ’s lessons this morning,” Kihyun commented, as he adjusted the washcloth on Changkyun’s forehead.“Just rest for now, Changkyun- _ah_ … we just want to make sure that you’re going to be okay.”

Changkyun let his eyes close again as Hyunwoo rubbed small circles on his back, clearly trying to comfort Changkyun.“I was going to ask you to give me the bite tonight…” Changkyun began.

“We’ll do it as soon as you’re healthy, pup,” Hyunwoo replied softly, leaning in to press a kiss against Changkyun’s temple.“I didn’t mean for it to take this long to get around to doing that.But I’m going to fix that as soon as I’m sure that you’re strong enough for that.”

There really wasn’t time to continue the conversation as Jooheon arrived back in the room, followed by a group of paramedics that immediately began setting up their equipment in the room as one of them knelt down by Changkyun’s side.“Can you tell me your name?” the man asked, smiling at Changkyun as he gently lifted one of Changkyun’s arms and wrapped a blood pressure cuff around his upper arm.

“Changkyun,” he replied.

“What about your family name, pup?” the man asked.

“He’s an orphan,” Hyunwoo provided.“We haven’t bothered with any of the legal paperwork to get him a family name yet.But it will be Son once we have the chance to get all of that settled.”

Changkyun could see the look of concern on the man’s face as he released the pressure from the cuff around Changkyun’s arm.“Can you tell me what happened, Changkyun- _ssi_?” the man asked, as he continued to check Changkyun’s vitals.

“I just stood up… I don’t really know what happened after that…” Changkyun replied.

“He went really pale and then just collapsed after a couple of seconds,” Jooheon provided.“His heat is a few days late…”

“ _Hyung_ …” Changkyun began.

“No, that’s actually good information,” the paramedic replied.“I want to take you to the hospital, to be evaluated more thoroughly.Your blood pressure is extremely low, which is worrying enough on its own.But the fact that your heat is late is a cause for concern as well.Whatever is going on, we want to make sure that we get this resolved as quickly as possible.”


	43. Waiting

It had been hours since Changkyun had been put in a small bed in the hospital’s emergency department, but other than having an IV started and some blood drawn after his doctor had first been by to see him, not much else had happened.Changkyun was starting to feel sick to his stomach, given the fact that he hadn’t eaten anything yet that day, and it was clear that Hoseok was beginning to get anxious about the fact that nothing seemed to be happening in regards to Changkyun’s sudden illness.The Alpha was pacing back and forth next to the bed, which wasn’t really helping his current situation.“ _Hyung_ … please stop… you’re making me dizzy again…”

“Sorry…” Hoseok began, sighing as he carefully sat down on the side of the bed and put an arm around Changkyun- _ah_ ’s shoulders.“I just don’t like how long it’s been since anyone came in here… you blacked out unexpectedly, and it really isn’t okay that no one is telling us anything, or even doing anything to help you feel better…”

Changkyun closed his eyes.“Could you just ask a nurse, instead of stalking around like that?I’m starting to feel sick from going so long without eating…”

“No one brought you anything to eat yet?”Changkyun looked up as a female doctor pushed the curtain aside just enough to walk through, clearly looking concerned as she checked the chart in her hand.“I’m so sorry… I’m going to personally make sure that you’re given something to eat as soon as we’re done here.There is no reason why you should have been left without anything to eat, especially not under the circumstances…”

“Honestly, no one has told us anything,” Hoseok replied, moving to stand next to Changkyun.“The only thing that’s been done other than drawing blood is that IV… and no one has been here to check on that since it was put in place several hours ago.You’re the first doctor we’ve seen since he was initially brought in this morning, Dr…?”

“I’m sorry.I’m Dr. Kim Ma Ri,“ the female doctor sighed, shaking her head.“I don’t understand what’s wrong with this emergency department… I never see these issues at the other hospitals where I have privileges.”The doctor placed Changkyun’s chart down near the foot of the bed, flipping through a couple of pages in the notebook before she smiled up at them.“I’m going to start with the good news first - your blood test results came back with an elevated hCG level consistent with the early stages of pregnancy, which is why I was called in to consult with you.We’ll need to perform an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy and get the dates sorted, but given the numbers I’m seeing and your history, I think it’s safe to say that you’re probably right around the five week mark.”

“He’s pregnant?” Hoseok asked, clearly just as shocked by the news as Changkyun himself.

“According to our test results, yes,” the doctor replied.

“But we were careful…” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“I wasn’t supposed to get pregnant again until after I’d joined the pack…”

“It’s okay, pup,” Hoseok commented, gently pulling Changkyun in so that he could press a kiss against Changkyun’s temple.“Hyunwoo- _hyung_ will still give you the bite, even if we have to wait a few more months…”

“Joining the pack won’t be a problem,” the doctor clarified, shaking her head.“As long as you’re doing well physically, there’s no reason to postpone taking a pack bite for more than a few days after this.You should wait until you’ve gotten some rest, but a pack bite done properly is no threat to the pup.”

Changkyun couldn’t help sighing in relief at the fact that he wouldn’t have to wait much longer before he could actually join the pack, closing his eyes and letting his head rest against Hoseok’s shoulder.“You said that this was the good news… does that mean that there’s also bad news?” Hoseok asked softly, as the Alpha gently moved one of his hands to rest against the lower part of Changkyun’s abdomen despite the fact that there was nothing there to physically show that Changkyun was expecting again.

“It’s concerning, certainly, but with the proper medical care it isn’t anything to be stressed out about,” Dr. Kim replied.“Changkyun- _ssi_ ’s blood pressure was extremely low when he was brought in, which is certainly something that we will need to continue to monitor.Hydration is always important during pregnancy, but in your case it will be vital to make sure that we don’t end up with a repeat of what happened this morning.I’m also going to recommend a higher sodium intake than normal, at least during this stage of your pregnancy.We’ll also keep a close eye on your blood pressure, so that we don’t end up with the opposite problem as we get closer to your due date.”

“What about today?” Changkyun asked.“Am I being admitted?”

“Not today,” Dr. Kim replied, shaking her head with a smile.“Unless you were to black out again, I see no reason for you to stay overnight at this point.I do want you to stay until all of the fluids have run, although it doesn’t seem as though that will take much longer.I’m going to go ahead and get you something to eat, as well as writing up a prescription for prenatal vitamins.Before you’re released this afternoon, we’ll schedule an appointment for you to come into my office for that ultrasound…”

“We can’t do it today?” Changkyun asked, sitting up a bit.He wasn’t sure how he felt about the idea of leaving without actually _seeing_ the proof of his pregnancy.

Dr. Kim smiled slightly at the question.“I know that you’re excited to see your pup - especially given the circumstances regarding your previous pregnancy,” the doctor commented.“At this point in your pregnancy, however, there isn’t much to see.The embryo may not be visible, and even if it is the heartbeat likely wouldn’t be detectable.I’ve found that for many Omegas that have experienced a miscarriage, not being able to see or hear the baby at the first ultrasound can be stressful.Waiting a week or two will make finding the pup easier, and we’ll still be able to get the same information without adding that kind of stress to your life.”

“You’ve treated Omegas after a miscarriage before?” Hoseok asked.

“Unfortunately, many of my patients have been in Changkyun- _ssi_ ’s position,” the doctor replied.“I will do everything in my power to help you have a healthy, full-term pregnancy.We are at the mercy of genetics to some degree, but we’re going to do what we need to do for the best possible outcome.”

“Thank you, Dr. Kim,” Hoseok replied, leaning in to press another kiss against Changkyun’s temple.

“I’ll make sure that someone comes in soon to check on you.Get some rest, Changkyun- _ssi_.I’ll be back by before you’re released, if you have any questions, and then we’ll figure out a good time to schedule you in for an appointment for that ultrasound,” the doctor replied, before leaving the small curtained area.

As soon as she was gone, Hoseok was on his feet and turning to look at Changkyun in awe.“I don’t understand… Kihyun- _ah_ gave you the medication, and you took it…” Hoseok began.

“I don’t know how it happened, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“Please, don’t be mad at me.I wasn’t trying to get pregnant again… I wanted to wait until I was officially part of the pack, like I said.I didn’t want to risk not being able to join the pack when Hyunwoo- _hyung_ was ready…”

“ _Yah_ … I’m not upset, pup,” Hoseok replied, reaching over to put his hands over Changkyun’s flat stomach as he spoke softly.“This is all just kind of shocking, that’s all.But I promise you, everyone in the pack is going to be thrilled, as long as this is what _you_ want…”Changkyun could see the look of concern in Hoseok’s face as the Alpha spoke.“The last thing we want is for you to feel pressured into anything.If you aren’t comfortable with this, we aren’t going to force you to finish out this pregnancy…”

It took Changkyun a moment to understand what Hoseok was implying.“No… I want this, too,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“I didn’t want it to happen right now, but I can deal with that if it means that I get to have pups for our pack…”

Hoseok smiled, leaning in to press a soft kiss against Changkyun’s lips.“That’s right. _Our_ pack.Will you be okay for a few minutes while I go call Hyunwoo- _hyung_ , or do you want to wait and tell him the good news with me?”

“I want to see his face when he finds out,” Changkyun replied, smiling at the Alpha.“We should probably text everyone and at least let them know that I’m okay, and that it isn’t anything serious, though.I’m sure they’re all worried…”

“I’ve got it,” Hoseok replied, pulling out his phone to quickly type a message and let everyone know that everything was going to be okay.“I’m just going to tell them that your blood pressure dropped due to dehydration, and that we’ll be coming home in a couple of hours once you’ve finished that IV.”

“That works,” Changkyun replied, leaning back slightly as his excitement began to settle down and the nausea he’d been feeling started to become more apparent.“ _Hyung_ … would you mind asking if I can get some ginger ale or something?My stomach is kind of upset…”

“Of course!”


	44. Overprotective

“ _Hyung_ … they said I needed to rest and drink plenty of fluids.That doesn’t mean I’m an invalid,” Changkyun commented, as Kihyun tucked a blanket around his legs as he sat on the couch.The Beta had been fussing over him from the moment he and Hoseok had gotten in the front door, and although Changkyun understood _why_ Kihyun was going so far to take care of him, he was starting to get a little frustrated by the Beta’s overprotectiveness.

“ _Yah_ … you’re going to stay on this couch and drink all of that water.I don’t care if the hospital said that you’re fine, you passed out this morning and I am _not_ letting that happen again,” Kihyun replied, putting a bottle of water in Changkyun’s hands.“You should put your feet up and rest until dinner.Hoseok- _ah_ said that you need something with some extra sodium to help keep your blood pressure up, too…”

Changkyun nodded.“That’s what Dr. Kim said,” Changkyun replied, even though he knew that there was a bit more to it than what Kihyun knew.He couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty about the fact that he was hiding something so important from the Beta, but he knew that it was only until everyone was home for dinner so that he could tell everyone at once.

“What did the doctor say?”Changkyun looked up as he heard Jooheon hurrying into the living room to sit down next to Changkyun without even bothering to take off his shoes or drop his school bag.

“ _Yah_ … Lee Jooheon, get your shoes _off_ the carpet!” Kihyun scolded, taking the Omega’s backpack and moving it away from the couch.“Changkyun- _ah_ isn’t dying, and you’re going to vacuum this carpet this weekend.”

“I’m fine, _hyung_ … don’t get yourself in trouble,” Changkyun replied, gently pushing Jooheon away to go do what Kihyun had told him to do.“Go take your shoes off before that vein in Kihyun- _hyung_ ’s forehead bursts… we don’t want to lose a member of our pack.”

There was a shocked look on Jooheon’s face.“You said _our_ pack…” the other Omega began, before smiling and leaning in to give Changkyun a big hug.

“Why do all of you get so weird when I say that?” Changkyun asked, chuckling slightly against Jooheon’s shoulder.“You’ve known for weeks that I’m going to join the pack when the time is right.And hopefully that will only be a couple more days…”

“But hearing you say that this is what you want… that you want to be with us forever.It’s special,” Jooheon replied, finally pulling back from the hug.“I’m so happy to know that you’re going to be part of our pack, pup.I want you to know how much that we love and want you.”

Changkyun smiled, leaning in to press a kiss against the elder Omega’s lips.“I know that, _hyung_.”

“Jooheon- _ah_ … shoes…” Kihyun interrupted, although his voice was much softer this time.The elder Omega got up and went to do what he’d been told, leaving Changkyun with the Beta who stroked a hand through his hair.“Drink your water, Changkyun- _ah_.You need to be taking better care of yourself.”

The afternoon was fairly peaceful, with just the other members of the pack coming in and out to check on him periodically and see what the doctor had said.Even Minhyuk came out closer to dinner time, sitting next to Changkyun on the couch and putting his own feet up so that he was still following his own doctor’s orders.“ _Yah_ … you gave all of us a scare this morning, pup.But I’m glad you’re okay,” Minhyuk commented, giving Changkyun an awkward sideways hug due to the sheer size of his own belly.At 33 weeks pregnant, Changkyun was starting to wonder just how much more the eldest Omega’s belly could expand before it would pop.

“How are the pups doing?” Changkyun asked, wanting to take the attention away from himself before he accidentally spilt his secret.

“My back is killing me, and I’m pretty sure someone is sitting on my bladder 100% of the time.But I need to keep them in there for a few more weeks so that they can finish growing and developing, so I can deal with all of that if it means we get three healthy pups when it’s all said and done,” Minhyuk replied, stroking a hand across his belly.“There isn’t much room left for them in there, but they still move an awful lot…”

Changkyun moved to press his hand against the elder Omega’s belly, smiling as one of the pups kicked at his hand.“They’re so close to being here…” Changkyun began.

“Yeah… don’t remind me about the fact that labor is coming,” Minhyuk replied with a smile, shaking his head.“The contractions I’ve already had were no fun…”

“Tell me about it,” Changkyun replied, letting his head rest against the older man’s shoulder.“When I miscarried, it was so painful… I don’t know if the emotional part was making it worse or what, but I’m not looking forward to going through that again…”Changkyun trailed off as he realized what he’d said, hoping that Minhyuk wouldn’t catch on to his slip.

“Hopefully if you ever have to go through that pain again, it will be to give birth to your first pup,” Minhyuk replied, stroking a hand through Changkyun’s hair and pressing a soft kiss against his temple.“I would never want to see you go through that again, either.But the doctor said that it was a fluke, and that the chances of you losing another pup that way are slim.You shouldn’t worry about it, unless something else happens that will give you a reason to worry.”

Changkyun relaxed once it was clear that Minhyuk didn’t suspect anything, falling into a comfortable silence with the eldest Omega as he worked on drinking the large bottle of water that Kihyun insisted that he finish before dinner.It was nice, being able to just sit there with Minhyuk as the other members of the pack came in and out to check on the two of them.

After a while, Minhyuk sighed and shifted uncomfortably.“I’m sorry to make you move, but someone has decided my bladder is now a punching bag and I need to go to the bathroom,” Minhyuk commented, sighing as Changkyun moved so that the elder Omega could get up.It only took him a moment to realize that he needed to use the bathroom, too. 

Changkyun barely got his feet on the floor before Hyungwon was there with another bottle of water.“What do you need, pup?” the Beta asked, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him from getting up.

“I don’t think you can go pee for me, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head with a slight smile on his face.

The Beta smiled, shaking his head as he offered Changkyun a hand.“No… but I can at least make sure that you don’t hit the floor if you pass out again,” Hyungwon replied, as he helped Changkyun to his feet.Although Changkyun still felt a little lightheaded as he made it to his feet, he didn’t have any reason to believe that he was going to pass out again even as Hyungwon started to walk with him towards the bathroom.

“ _Hyung_ … I don’t need help, you know,” Changkyun replied.

“I know… I just don’t want to let go until I’m sure that you’re okay,” Hyungwon commented as he finally let go of Changkyun’s arm.“You scared the hell out of us this morning.We’re all going to be a little overprotective of you for a while because of it.Just be prepared to be completely smothered for a few days, until we’re all sure that you really are okay.”

“I never meant to worry everyone,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head. 

The Beta smiled, nodding at Changkyun.“I know, pup.None of us think that you’ve done any of this on purpose - who would _want_ to black out like that?All that we really care about is the fact that you’re going to be okay.”


	45. Announcement

Changkyun could feel his stomach churning as he waited for Kihyun to sit down with the rest of the pack after cleaning up from dinner.He was nervous; Changkyun wasn’t sure _how_ he was going to tell everyone that he’d unexpectedly conceived during his last heat.The Beta finally joined them in the living room, although he moved to press a hand against Changkyun’s forehead instead of sitting down.“Are you feeling okay, pup?” Kihyun asked, clearly still concerned about Changkyun’s health.“You aren’t uncomfortable, are you?”

“I’m fine, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head as Hoseok put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him so that he could lean against the Alpha’s side.It was comfortable, having that reminder that Hoseok was by his side for everything that was going on.

“You should explain, now that everyone is here,” Hoseok commented softly, gently squeezing Changkyun’s shoulders.

“You both said that it was just low blood pressure… that Changkyun- _ah_ fainted because he was dehydrated and it made his blood pressure drop when he stood up too quickly,” Kihyun began, clearly even more concerned by Hoseok’s comment.

“And that’s true… we just left out one of the details,” Hoseok replied, shaking his head.

“Dr. Kim said that my hCG levels were elevated,” Changkyun explained, letting his hand move to rest against the flat of his lower belly.“I don’t really know how, but I’m pregnant.She said that the blood test levels are consistent with me being about five weeks along, which would match up with the timing of my last heat…”

There was a moment of silence, before Hyunwoo spoke up.“How do you feel about that?”It was clear from the Alpha’s tone that the man was trying to hide his own reaction to the news, and Changkyun wasn’t sure how he was going to react once Changkyun had answered.

“It’s sooner than I really wanted it to happen… but I’m happy.Especially since Dr. Kim said that we could go ahead with the pack bite in a few days,” Changkyun replied, smiling as he looked down at his stomach.“I want to have pups for the pack… the most important thing to me is that I’m part of the pack before the pup is born, and that the pup is healthy.All of the other details are things we can figure out as they come up.”

Hyunwoo was quick to smile after Changkyun finished speaking, getting up and moving to lean over and press a kiss against Changkyun’s forehead.“If you’re happy, then I’m happy, pup,” the Alpha replied.“We’ll make you a member of the pack this weekend, if you’re feeling up to it.How does that sound?”

Changkyun nodded, smiling.“I like the sound of that,” he replied.

“I’m assuming the doctor gave you the prenatal vitamins already?” Kihyun asked, once Hyunwoo had sat back down.

“I have it,” Hoseok replied.“He wanted to tell everyone at the same time, so I helped him hide them for the afternoon so that you wouldn’t see them.But I’ll make sure to put those in the kitchen with Minhyuk- _ah_ ’s meds before I go to bed, so that we can find them in the morning.”

“I’ll call and schedule an appointment for you in the morning…” Kihyun began.

“I already have an appointment with Dr. Kim,” Changkyun interrupted, shaking his head.“I really liked her, and I trust her.I don’t think that I want to switch to another doctor right now.”

“Then you should stick with Dr. Kim,” Minhyuk replied, from his place on the other end of the couch.“You should be comfortable with the doctor that’s going to be helping you through all of this.It’s sort of an intimate thing…”

“All that matters is that you’re happy and healthy,” Hyungwon agreed.

Changkyun felt tears starting to sting at his eyes as everything seemed to hit him all at once.Changkyun reached up to wipe at the tears, trying to hide them before anyone else could see them.“ _Yah_ … why are you crying, pup?” Hoseok asked, stroking a hand through his hair.

“I’m just… overwhelmed by it all,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.

“It’s okay, pup,” Jooheon replied, moving so that the other Omega was sitting right against his other side so that Changkyun was being cuddled from both sides.“Let it out, okay?You don’t have to hold it back.We’ve all seen Minhyuk- _hyung_ cry a million times since he found out he was pregnant…”

“ _Yah_ … I’m not _that_ bad!” Minhyuk commented, throwing a couch pillow in Jooheon’s general direction.

“You cried over a baby food commercial, _hyung_ ,” Hyungwon replied.Changkyun couldn’t help laughing at the gentle teasing that the other members had started up to make him feel better.

“You try dealing with all of these hormones, and then tell me that you wouldn’t cry over some of the things they put on television!” Minhyuk replied, crossing his arms above his belly and pouting openly at the fact that the other members of the pack were talking about him.“They’ll be making fun of you for not being able to control your tears in a few months, too, you know.”

“Minhyukkie… they’re just teasing you,” Hyunwoo commented softly, as he moved to sit next to the _very_ pregnant Omega.Changkyun watched as the Alpha put an arm around Minhyuk’s shoulders and pressed a kiss against his temple.“They don’t mean anything by it.”

“We were just trying to help Changkyun- _ah_ feel better, _hyung_ ,” Jooheon replied, as his hand moved to rest on Changkyun’s belly.“I’m sorry if what I said was upsetting to you.I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings…”

Minhyuk finally sighed, shaking his head.“I’m just emotional… I’m sleep deprived and uncomfortable, and I haven’t been able to see my feet in months,” the eldest Omega replied.

“Let’s go to bed, then,” Hyunwoo replied.“I’ll give you a massage, and we’ll get you comfortable so that you can get some rest.”

“We should all probably try to sleep early tonight… it’s been a long day for everyone,” Kihyun added, getting up to start the process of shutting down the apartment for the night.“Changkyun- _ah_ , do you want someone to stay with you tonight?I think we’d all feel better if we knew that you weren’t alone, especially after everything that happened this morning…”

“I’d like that,” Changkyun replied, nodding.

“I don’t have any classes in the morning,” Hyungwon commented.

“Hyungwon- _ah_ … you sleep like the dead.If Changkyun- _ah_ starts having issues with morning sickness in the middle of the night, you’re probably the least helpful person in the pack,” Minhyuk commented.

“ _Yah_ … why are you coming for me?Jooheon- _ah_ is the one who started calling you out for crying…” Hyungwon replied.

“You corroborated his statements, Hyungwon- _ah_ ,” Hyunwoo commented.“Still, it’s Changkyun- _ah_ ’s decision who he wants to share a room with tonight.The point is so that he can be comfortable, and to make sure that Changkyun- _ah_ ’s doing okay.”

“I’d like it if you shared with me, Hyungwon- _ah_ ,” Changkyun replied.“I feel okay right now - I know the morning sickness is going to come soon enough and I might need someone to be there to help me through it, but for now I just want someone to be close to me.”

“Which means our human koala is probably the perfect sleeping companion for you right now,” Kihyun offered, with a smirk on his face. 

Changkyun couldn’t help smiling, as Hoseok leaned in and kissed his temple.“Go get some sleep, pup… rest will be good for you.”

Hyungwon helped Changkyun to his feet, making sure that Changkyun was steady on his feet before they left the living room to make their way upstairs to Changkyun’s bedroom.“I’m going to go get ready for bed… I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”Changkyun nodded, smiling as Hyungwon pressed a kiss against his forehead before Changkyun moved to start getting himself ready for bed as well. 

By the time Changkyun was finished getting ready for bed, he was exhausted and just wanted to fall asleep.The problem, however, was that Changkyun didn’t want to fall asleep on his own; he wanted someone else to hold him.Changkyun knew that Hyungwon would be more than happy to cuddle him for as long as he wanted.Still, Changkyun lay down on his bed and let himself relax with a hand resting gently against the stretch of skin just below his navel.

“You’re sure that you’re feeling okay, pup?” Hyungwon asked, when the Beta came back to the room and shut the door.

Changkyun nodded, smiling.“I feel good…” he replied.“My stomach was a little upset earlier, but I think I was just nervous about how everyone would react to the news…”Hyungwon lay down next to him on the bed, moving to cuddle up against Changkyun’s side and letting his hand rest on top of Changkyun’s own.“I’m still nervous about it, because I know that it could still all go horribly wrong.But I’m hopeful… it feels like this is going to be right this time.”

Hyungwon pressed a kiss against the side of his neck, squeezing Changkyun’s hand gently.“It’s meant to be.And both of you are going to be so well taken care of,” Hyungwon replied.“And your pup is going to have three siblings close in age to it, because of Minhyuk- _hyung_ ’s pups being born soon…”

“My pup is going to have the family I never had growing up,” Changkyun replied, smiling.

“And you’ll never have to be without that family again, either.”


	46. Anxiety

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I haven't abandoned you all! NaNoWriMo had me all kinds of busy (plus everything else going on this month - I have to say, I am NOT a fan of having a Fall show). But I've won now, and in all honesty I'm just kind of stopping at the W rather than actually pushing for my Double NaNo goal because I've been sick for almost two weeks. 
> 
> My NaNo project was not what I wanted it to be, and a side story about Seventeen sort of took over my muse for the last two weeks (which is now being tweaked to be released as a stand-alone story, although there will be more Orange Marmalade AUs coming out as I finish up some other things I've been working on). But this story is 100% still going, and I'm going to start working on it again now that I've won NaNo.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

“Relax, pup… everything is going to be okay,” Hyungwon commented softly, as he wrapped his arms around Changkyun’s waist.It was clear that the Beta had noticed his nerves as they waited for the rest of the pack to join them in the nest.Things had finally aligned so that Changkyun could take the bite to officially join the pack, even though it was only a couple of days before his first prenatal appointment with Dr. Kim.Even though Changkyun was feeling better thanks to the suggestions he’d been given in the emergency room, he couldn’t help being nervous about how everything was going to work now that he was officially joining the pack.

“What if taking the bite does something to the pup?” Changkyun asked, keeping his voice down so that the others wouldn’t hear his somewhat ridiculous question.

“Didn’t Dr. Kim say that it was perfectly safe as long as you were feeling okay?” Hyungwon asked.Changkyun nodded.“Then what are you worried about?I’m sure that she wouldn’t have said it was okay if there were potential problems…”

“What potential problems are we talking about?” Jooheon asked, obviously concerned as he came in and joined them sitting on the side of the bed.

“Changkyun- _ah_ is nervous about taking the pack bite,” Hyungwon replied.“I think it’s his anxiety starting to get the better of him.He’s worried that something will happen to the pup, even though Dr. Kim said that it was fine.”

Changkyun felt Jooheon stroking a hand through his hair, as the elder Omega leaned in to press a kiss against his temple.“ _Aigoo_ … you’re going to give yourself an ulcer worrying about things that aren’t worth worrying about,” Jooheon commented.“There’s no way Dr. Kim would have told you it was okay if there was a risk to the pup.Hoseok- _hyung_ said that she wants you to have a healthy pregnancy just as much as we do.If she says that this is okay, then it’s fine.”

“If you’re really that worried, I’m sure that Hyunwoo- _hyung_ would be willing to wait a little longer,” Hyungwon added.“No one wants you to do this if you aren’t comfortable with any part of it… you need to be sure about this.”

“I am sure about joining the pack,” Changkyun replied, without hesitation.“It’s the bite that worries me - I don’t really know what it’s going to be like.And after what happened with the car accident and my first pup…”Changkyun closed his eyes, sighing because he really couldn’t put into words what he was feeling.

“You’re afraid that something similarly intense will cause you to miscarry again,” Jooheon provided.It was clear that the elder Omega didn’t think he was crazy for his concerns.Changkyun nodded slowly, letting his head rest against Jooheon’s shoulder.“It’s okay to be nervous… you’ve had a bad experience, and it’s hard to not think about that kind of thing when you’re going into something unknown like this.But I promise you, none of us would even consider letting this happen if we weren’t completely certain that it was safe for you to take the bite right now.”

“Is he stressing out about the bite?”Hoseok’s voice broke through the conversation that was happening, as the younger Alpha walked into the room.The older man was quick to come over and sit next to them on the bed, reaching out to put a hand on Changkyun’s leg.“Changkyun- _ah_ , if you’re worried about this, we can wait a little longer… we want you to be completely comfortable about all of this.If you have any hesitations, you just have to say it and we’ll stop everything until you’re comfortable.”

Changkyun took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he tried not to tear up.His emotions had been a bit of a mess for the past several days - likely as a result of the hormones flooding his body due to his pregnancy - and Changkyun was fairly certain that his _hyungs_ were likely starting to get tired of his constant emotional outbursts.“It isn’t the idea of joining the pack that worries me…”

“It doesn’t matter _why_ you’re hesitating,” Hoseok replied.“What matters is that there’s something that is making you hesitate to go through with this.And that’s something we need to deal with before we do anything else…”

“But everyone is expecting it to happen now…” Changkyun began softly.

“And I promise you that everyone will understand why we’re calling this off, if you’re even the slightest bit uncomfortable,” Hoseok replied.“Hyungwon- _ah_ , will you go tell the others that we’re putting the brakes on for now?If Changkyun- _ah_ feels better about everything in a couple of hours, then we’ll try again.But for right now I think it’s best if we hold off on doing anything else.”

The tears that Changkyun had been fighting back started to fall at that point, and he found himself leaning into Jooheon’s side without even thinking about it.“I’m sorry…” Changkyun began.

“Shh… don’t even apologize, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Jooheon commented softly.“You haven’t done anything wrong - we just want you to be happy and healthy, and we want to make sure that you don’t feel pressured into anything.”

“If you aren’t completely sure, it can cause you to reject the bite,” Hoseok explained.“That would be a lot more painful than it will be to deal with this moment of anxiety about the whole situation _before_ anything else happens.I don’t want to risk you having to go through all of that, too.Because I do think that would put you at risk of some kind of serious complications.”

Changkyun nodded, even though he couldn’t stop the tears from falling as Jooheon gently pulled him into a tight hug and began to rock him back and forth gently.“It really is okay, pup.No one is going to be upset by this.”

“What’s going on?Changkyun- _ah_?”Changkyun looked up at the sound of Kihyun’s voice, feeling even worse as he saw the concern on the eldest Beta’s face.Kihyun immediately moved to put his arms around Changkyun, too, pressing a kiss against his temple.“You’re okay, Changkyun- _ah_.There’s nothing wrong with needing to wait a little longer to take the bite.We all know that you love us, and that you’re going to join the pack when you’re ready.We aren’t going to push you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

“I _want_ this…” Changkyun sobbed softly, leaning against the Beta.

“We know that,” Kihyun assured him.“I promise you, we all know that you aren’t happy about postponing all of this.But pup, we have to take care of you, and right now we won’t be doing a good job of that if we keep going as if you aren’t struggling with the idea of taking the bite.You can’t push yourself to do this when you feel like there’s something wrong…”

Changkyun nodded slowly, closing his eyes again and leaning into Kihyun’s side.The Beta seemed content to just hold him, rubbing his back as Changkyun sobbed softly against the man’s shoulder.

“How’s he doing?”Changkyun wasn’t so how long he’d been there, curled into Kihyun’s side as he sobbed until he was no longer able to cry.Still, he’d stayed pressed against to the older man’s side because he didn’t feel like moving.Even hearing Hyunwoo’s voice and feeling the bed shift as the older man joined the rest of them wasn’t enough to get Changkyun to move.Hyunwoo stroked a hand through his hair, clearly worried.

“He’s calmed down now,” Kihyun replied. 

“I think it was more the fear that he was going to upset us than actually being upset by the idea of taking the bite,” Hoseok added.“Maybe I shouldn’t have told him that we need to wait until he’s feeling better about all of this…”

“No, you did the right thing putting things on hold,” Hyunwoo replied.“We have to protect him - and sometimes that means protecting him from himself, too.We’ll figure out the bite later, once he’s more comfortable with the idea.”

“So what now?” Jooheon asked softly.

“Now we take care of him, and make sure that he knows that we love him whether he joins the pack tonight or not,” Kihyun replied.


	47. Doctor's Visit

Changkyun couldn’t help being nervous as the nurse checked his blood pressure for a third time, this time with a new cuff.“Is something wrong?” Hyunwoo asked, from where he was seated on Changkyun’s other side.The Alpha had taken the day off specifically so that he could go with Changkyun to his first doctor’s appointment and be there to see the first ultrasound.They had already gone through his medical history, at least as much as Changkyun could remember from his childhood, and all of the medication Changkyun was taking.

“I think that first one may be faulty… the reading is much lower than it should be,” the nurse replied, as she inflated the new cuff around his arm.

“That’s been an issue,” Hyunwoo commented, clearly relaxing at the nurse’s explanation of the problem as he moved a hand to rub Changkyun’s back and help him relax.“He passed out getting out of bed one morning a couple of weeks ago - Dr. Kim first saw him in the emergency department after the pregnancy test came back positive.”

The nurse turned back to the computer once she’d released the pressure in the cuff, finally recording the number.“Have there been any more episodes since then, Changkyun- _ssi_?”

“I’ve been lightheaded a lot, but I’ve only passed out once since that first time,” Changkyun replied.“It was a couple of days after the trip to the hospital - I stood up too fast after I woke up that morning, because I thought I was going to be sick.”

The nurse nodded, typing a few notes.“So just the two actual fainting episodes?”

“Right,” Changkyun replied.

“You mentioned feeling sick - I’m assuming morning sickness has kicked in at this point?”

“That was the first morning I really felt sick,” Changkyun replied, nodding.“It’s worse overnight than it is during the day, though… I’ve woken up in the middle of the night to be sick a few times, but I haven’t actually thrown up during normal hours yet.”

The nurse smiled, as she continued checking his basic vital signs.“Everyone’s experience is a bit different when it comes to morning sickness.Usually keeping something in your stomach helps… so does ginger.And the smell of peppermint helps some people as well.The important thing is that you figure out what works best for you, so that you don’t get dehydrated and have more serious issues with your blood pressure or your pregnancy in general.”

“I’ve been drinking ginger tea pretty regularly… it helps a lot, which I think is the reason I’m mostly having issues overnight,” Changkyun replied.He let his hand move to rest against his lower abdomen.“Is it normal to feel like there’s something there?I know that the pup is still tiny, but I feel different…”

“That’s completely normal in pregnancy… for some Omegas, that’s an early sign.The pup may be small, but your uterus is already starting to expand and push your other organs out of the way to make room for the pup to grow,” the nurse replied.Changkyun nodded, thankful to know that everything about his pregnancy thus far - apart from his blood pressure issues - was normal.“It’s only going to get more obvious as time goes on and your uterus begins to push everything up, until you start to show.”

Changkyun couldn’t help smiling at the idea of the rest of the world being able to see his pup.“How long does that usually take?” Changkyun asked.

The nurse smiled.“It varies from person to person and pregnancy to pregnancy.Some Omegas begin to show before they’re even ready to announce their pregnancy, while others don’t begin to look pregnant until they’re almost halfway through,” the woman replied.

“Just try to remember how excited you are about that right now when you’re huge and uncomfortable,” Hyunwoo joked, leaning in and pressing a kiss against his temple.Changkyun smiled, as Hyunwoo reached over to take his hand.“And there will be an ultrasound this morning, right?”

“That’s right.We’ll do a dating ultrasound this morning to verify gestational age, although from what we’ve discussed already I think it’s safe to say that Changkyun- _ssi_ is somewhere between eight and nine weeks along,” the nurse replied, as she finished up on the computer and started to put everything away.“I’ll go ahead and let you get changed.Dr. Kim will come in a few minutes to complete the physical exam, and after that there will be some blood tests before the ultrasound takes place.”

The nurse was gone a moment later, leaving Changkyun to change out of his actual clothes and into a paper examination gown.“I hate these things…” he muttered, as he finally climbed back onto the paper-covered exam table as Hyunwoo quickly checked his phone.The look on the elder man’s face concerned Changkyun.“What’s wrong?”

“Kihyun- _ah_ just texted me… Minhyuk- _ah_ is having contractions again, and they think his water may have broken,” Hyunwoo replied, typing out a response as he spoke.“They’re going to the hospital now… are you okay with heading straight there when we’re done here?I’m not going to leave you here alone, but I want to make sure that I’m there for Minhyuk- _ah_ as well…”

“I’m okay,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“I want to be with Minhyuk- _hyung_ , too, if he wants me there.I’d like to be there to see the pups born, if Minhyuk- _hyung_ wants me to be there.”

“We’ll have to see if that’s possible,” Hyunwoo replied.“If he has a cesarean, they’ll probably only let one person be in the room.But I’m sure that Minhyuk- _ah_ would feel better if he had as many of his pack members with him as possible.”

The two of them weren’t able to continue their conversation, as Dr. Kim came into the room with a smile on her face.“Good afternoon, Changkyun- _ssi_.How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” Changkyun replied.“A little nervous.”

“That’s okay… the first appointment is always a little intimidating,” Dr. Kim replied.“I’ll talk you through everything that we do, but if you have a question or you’re uncomfortable, let me know.”

The actual exam was extremely thorough, and Changkyun couldn’t help feeling a little overwhelmed at everything the doctor checked and asked him about.While logically he knew that his health was going to directly affect the health of his pup, there were many things that he hadn’t even thought about that needed to be checked in order to make sure that everything would continue to go as planned.

“Given your history, I do think it would be wise to go ahead and take advantage of some of the screenings that are available for genetic disorders,” Dr. Kim suggested, as she finished up with the actual physical exam.“I know that we discussed the fact that the defect that caused your miscarriage was something unavoidable, but these screenings can detect other issues that could potentially cause an issue later in the pregnancy or after the pup is born.”

“What are the risks?” Hyunwoo asked, before Changkyun even had a chance to fully process what was being asked.

“The tests themselves are basic blood tests at this stage,” Dr. Kim replied.“I won’t recommend anything more invasive this early without reason to believe that there is a problem.If we find something in these early screenings, we may consider amniocentesis later on.But for now I don’t see a reason to do anything beyond blood work and ultrasound screenings.We will delay today’s blood work for a week or so if you decide to do the screenings, so that we can limit the number of blood draws required.I know that most people don’t like being stuck with needles, and given the blood pressure issues we’ve already seen I’d prefer not to take blood more times than absolutely necessary.”

Changkyun looked at Hyunwoo as the man squeezed his hand.“What do you think, Changkyun- _ah_?” the Alpha asked.

“I’d like to do the tests…” Changkyun replied, turning back to Dr. Kim with a quick nod.“I want to know if there’s anything to worry about in advance - I want to be prepared if there’s a chance that something might go wrong this time around.”

“Right - so I’ll go ahead and schedule an appointment with the lab for those blood tests.Which means our next step here is going to be that ultrasound to determine gestational age,” Dr. Kim replied. 


	48. Change of Plans

The waiting room on the maternity floor was freezing, and Changkyun couldn’t help shivering as he sat in one of the rather uncomfortable chairs waiting to hear that Minhyuk’s pups had arrived.He and Hyunwoo had arrived at the hospital just in time for the Alpha to be told to get ready for Minhyuk to be taken into the OR; only one of the pups had been in the proper position to be born naturally, and it had been decided that it was too dangerous to attempt to turn the other two.While Minhyuk’s case hadn’t quite been an emergency, there had been an opening in the OR that they had been able to take and given the unpredictable nature of labor it had been decided to go ahead immediately.

“Cold, pup?” Kihyun asked, moving to put an arm around Changkyun’s shoulders.

“It’s a little chilly in here,” Changkyun replied, letting himself relax into the Beta’s embrace.“I’ll be okay, _hyung_.”

“ _Yah_ … you should have told me sooner,” Kihyun commented, moving to take his own jacket off to put it around Changkyun’s shoulders.“You shouldn’t suffer through being cold… we don’t want you to get sick, and your immune system isn’t working as well as it usually would because of the pregnancy…”

Changkyun smiled as Kihyun started to pull him into another embrace, letting his head rest against the Beta’s shoulder.“I’m really glad that you know so much, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied. 

“I’ve learned because it’s something my pack needs me to do,” Kihyun replied, pressing a kiss against the top of Changkyun’s head.“How are you feeling, anyway?What did Dr. Kim say?We haven’t talked about your doctor’s appointment at all yet…”

“Still tired, like I have been the whole time,” Changkyun began.“The nausea’s okay right now, although the hospital smell is kind of putting me off…”

“Do you need to go home?We can always bring you back once the pups are born so that you can see them…” Kihyun started, until Changkyun sat up and shook his head quickly.

“No, no… I’m okay,” Changkyun replied.“I want to stay and be here for Minhyuk- _hyung_.Especially since there’s a chance that one or all of the pups may have to go to the NICU for a little while, and he may not be able to see them…”

Kihyun sighed, squeezing Changkyun’s shoulders.“But you’ll let me know if you need to go home, right?You know that Minhyuk- _ah_ won’t hold it against you - he understands what it’s like to be pregnant, and we all want to make sure that you take care of yourself.We want to have this pup come home healthy, too,” Kihyun commented, moving a hand to Changkyun’s belly.

“I will, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, moving to put his hand on top of Kihyun’s.“Dr. Kim also suggested that we do some extra genetic testing, because of what happened with the first pup - I have an appointment for a blood draw in two weeks, and then another ultrasound a few weeks after that to make sure that there aren’t any surprises.If anything looks concerning, we’ll talk about amniocentesis…”

“I don’t think you should do that,” Kihyun replied.“There’s a chance of miscarriage with those tests… after everything you’ve already been through, I don’t like the idea of taking that kind of risk when we’re going to love the pup regardless…”

“I honestly don’t want to do it, either,” Changkyun commented, shaking his head.“I want to know if there’s something to worry about, but I really don’t want to risk doing anything that might hurt my pup…”

“Why isn’t Changkyun- _ah_ in with Minhyuk- _hyung_?”Changkyun looked up at the sound of Hyungwon’s question, as the younger of the pack’s Betas hurried up to them.He and Jooheon had both been in classes, and it wasn’t until that moment that Changkyun realized no one had told either of them what was going on.“Is something wrong?”

“Two of the pups weren’t positioned properly,” Kihyun began.“They decided that it was in everyone’s best interests if they delivered the pups via C-section, and only Hyunwoo- _hyung_ was allowed to go into the OR with him.I thought that Hoseok- _hyung_ had let the two of you know already…”

“But Minhyuk- _hyung_ is going to be okay, right?” Jooheon asked.

“Everything is fine - the C-section is to prevent any issues from arising,” Kihyun explained.“Minhyuk- _ah_ was more relieved that it meant he would be through with labor sooner rather than later than anything else.Apparently contractions are pretty intense…”

“They suck,” Changkyun interjected, shaking his head.“It’s more painful than heat cramps, and they last longer… I’m sure it’s worth the pain when you actually get a baby at the end of all of it, but I can understand why he would want to be done with this part of all of it as soon as possible.”

Changkyun didn’t even really recognize that the other three were looking at him in concern, until Jooheon sat down on his other side and pulled him into a tight hug.“ _Yah_ … we didn’t mean to say anything to hurt you…” the elder Omega began softly.Changkyun couldn’t help being confused, until he realized that everyone else assumed he was going to be upset by the conversation.

“I’m actually okay, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“I mean, it does hurt a little to talk about it.But I have a pup on the way, and I feel good about this pregnancy.It’s hard to explain… but I don’t feel as upset as I thought I would about everything.I think knowing that I’ll have a pup of my own in the near future is making it easier to deal with what’s happening.”

Changkyun was thankful for the way that the others simply held him for a few moments, doing their best to support him even though he hadn’t given them a reason to believe that he was upset.Given the fact that he still hadn’t officially joined the pack - since the evening he’d panicked over the idea of hurting his pup, Changkyun hadn’t quite managed to bring himself to ask Hyunwoo again - Changkyun felt even more thankful for his _hyungs_ and the fact that they were so concerned with his wellbeing and mental health.

The moment was interrupted by Hyunwoo’s arrival in the waiting room, still dressed in the hospital scrubs he’d been given before entering the OR.“Is everything okay?” the Alpha asked, obviously concerned that something was wrong with Changkyun given the fact that the other three were seemingly comforting him.

“It’s fine, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, smiling up at him.“How is Minhyuk- _hyung_?And what about the pups?”

“Minhyuk- _ah_ is doing well… he’s in the recovery room now.Once he’s back in his room in an hour or so, you’ll all be able to go see him,” Hyunwoo replied.“They took the pups to the NICU for observation because they’re premature, but they were all breathing on their own and their nurses said they were doing really well before they were taken out of the OR.They’ll let us know when we can go see them, and what we have to do to go into the NICU with them.”

“All that matters is that they’re all healthy and safe,” Jooheon commented.

“Agreed.But are you guys sure everything is okay?” Hyunwoo asked, kneeling in front of Changkyun.“Are you feeling okay, pup?”

“I’m just tired.And a little nauseated,” Changkyun admitted.“I’ll be fine for a while longer, though.I want to see Minhyuk- _hyung_ , and the pups.”

“I’ll go get you something to snack on,” Hyungwon commented, hurrying off before Changkyun could protest.

“We’ll take you home after you see Minhyuk- _ah_ and the pups,” Kihyun added.“Minhyuk- _ah_ will understand, since he’s been in your shoes before, too.”The Beta was quick to press a soft kiss against his temple.

“You’ll be okay if I go back to Minhyuk- _ah_?” Hyunwoo asked.

Changkyun nodded, smiling at the Alpha.“I really am okay, _hyung_.Kihyun- _hyung_ has been taking good care of me - as long as I’m not alone out here, I’ll be fine.”

The Alpha nodded, before standing up and leaning over to press a kiss against Changkyun’s forehead.“As soon as things are a bit calmer, I’m going to give you the bite so that you feel more settled with the pack,” Hyunwoo commented.“Don’t be afraid to ask to go home if you start feeling worse, okay?I’m sure the hospital smell probably isn’t great for your stomach.”

“I will.”


	49. Newborns

Changkyun sat in the rocking chair next to Minhyuk’s hospital bed, watching as a nurse gently lifted one of the pups out of the bassinet and brought it over to him with a smile on her face.The other two pups were already being held - one being nursed by Minhyuk, while Jooheon bounced the other gently from another seat by the window.“These are lucky pups, to have three Omegas in their family pack to take care of them,” the nurse commented, as she placed the final pup in Changkyun’s arms.“Do all three of you plan on trying to nurse the pups?”

“That isn’t going to be possible,” Minhyuk answered.“Jooheon- _ah_ is in school, so he won’t be available to nurse most of the time.And Changkyun- _ah_ is already expecting another pup for our pack…”

Changkyun looked up, confused.“But… shouldn’t that make it easier for me to help?” Changkyun asked.“I mean, my body is already producing the same hormones... shouldn’t that make it easier for me to help?”

“It would be easier, but attempting to nurse could trigger contractions that would put your pregnancy at risk,” the nurse commented.“You definitely don’t want to try it - at least not unless you get _really_ desperate to induce labor once you’re full term.Before your pup is fully developed, it’s too much of a risk.”

“I’m not opposed to giving the pups formula, anyway,” Minhyuk added, shaking his head.“I’ve known pretty much my whole pregnancy that I more than likely wouldn’t be able to feed all three of the pups on my own.I’m going to do my best, but all that really matters is that the pups are happy and healthy.”

Changkyun turned back to the pup in his arms, smiling down at the little pink-wrapped bundle as the only girl of the trio yawned widely before looking up at him through half-closed eyes.“You’re absolutely precious,” Changkyun cooed, feeling his heart swell at the sight of her wide eyes staring up at him.“I can’t believe how small she is…”

“They don’t feel small when they’re fighting for space inside of you,” Minhyuk replied with a smile.“I would do it again in a heartbeat, but the bigger you get the more uncomfortable it becomes.You’ll understand when that pup starts to run out of space to move, and every movement it does make ends up with a foot in your ribs or its head pressing into your bladder.

“They’re actually bigger than we would have expected,” the nurse commented.“Triplets often don’t make it this close to full term, and even if they do it’s rare to see them so close to three kilograms each.It’s difficult for triplets to get to full term or to the same birth weight as a single pup, because there’s only so much an Omega’s body can take.The weight of the pups, plus the placenta and the amniotic fluid… it gets incredibly heavy and your body can only handle so much extra weight.”

“But I’ll get a pup in the end,” Changkyun replied, smiling down at the pup in his arms.“If the baby I’m carrying is anything like these pups, then she’ll be more than worth everything I’ve been through or will have to go through for her.”

“So you think you’re having a girl?” Jooheon asked, from where he was still sitting across the room.Changkyun looked up to see the pack’s middle Omega smiling widely at him.“You called your pup ’she’ twice just now…”

Changkyun thought about it, realizing that the elder man was right; he’d called the pup in his belly a girl without even realizing it.“I don’t know for sure… I didn’t even realize I’d said that, honestly.It just… it feels right.”

“They do say that some Omegas just know what they’re carrying, before the tests can even tell them,” the nurse commented.“I wouldn’t hold onto that too strongly, but there is a 50/50 chance that you’ll be right.The truth is, you may end up switching the pronouns you use for your pup a dozen times or more just because one or the other feels right, before you actually have a definitive answer.And that’s okay - it’s perfectly normal, because you already see your pup as a person.”

Changkyun nodded, turning back to look at the pup in his arms again as she began to fuss slightly.The baby didn’t seem to want to calm down, despite his attempts at calming her down.“I don’t think I’m doing this right…” Changkyun began, as the little baby began to actually cry in his arms.He couldn’t help feeling like he was failing as a parent already, even though he had yet to actually give birth.

“She’s probably hungry,” Minhyuk commented.“There are some bottles of pre-made formula on the counter near the sink.I don’t think that she’s going to be able to wait her turn to nurse at this point.”

Changkyun started to stand up with the pup in his arms, only to be immediately be forced to sit back down as everything around him went a little fuzzy and the world started to spin.He was thankful when he felt someone take the pup from his arms almost immediately, even as his vision began to clear.“That was a bad idea…” Changkyun muttered.

The nurse was at his side a moment later, with a concerned look on her face as she knelt next to him.Changkyun could see that she had given Minhyuk the pup he’d been holding, leaving the eldest with two of the three.“Are you okay?” she asked, grabbing his wrist to check his pulse.“Your heart is racing…”

“He’s been having issues with his blood pressure,” Jooheon provided, as he moved to stand on Changkyun’s other side with the pup he’d been holding still in his arms.“He’s probably low again.”

“I think I just need to eat something,” Changkyun replied, as the nausea he’d been trying to keep at bay started to creep back in.

“Changkyun- _ssi_ , is it okay with you if I check your blood pressure?I want to make sure that everything is fine, especially knowing that you’re carrying your own pup…” the nurse began.Changkyun nodded his agreement, closing his eyes as the woman began to check his vitals.

“ _Yah_ … what’s going on?Is everything okay?” 

Changkyun could hear Hyungwon’s voice as the Beta came into the room, but Jooheon responded for him before he could even open his mouth.“He tried to stand up and got dizzy again… he didn’t pass out, but it looked like it was close.”

“I just need to eat, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head.“I forgot that I was supposed to eat a little while ago, in all of the excitement.”

“His blood pressure is low, but his pulse is starting to come back to normal,” the nurse commented.“You definitely need to drink some water and try to eat something, but I don’t think there’s anything seriously wrong.I do think it would be a good idea for you to go home and get some rest once your blood pressure stabilizes, and to let your doctor know that you’ve had another episode.And I definitely wouldn’t recommend getting up while holding one of the pups until things are more stable”

Changkyun nodded, as the woman took the cuff off his arm.“I will,” Changkyun replied.

“I’m going to run grab you something to eat, Changkyun- _ah_ ,” Hyungwon commented.“Does anyone else want anything?”

“I’m fine - I can go get something in a little while,” Jooheon responded.

“I just ate not that long ago,” Minhyuk added.“The hospital is taking good care of me and the pups.You should worry about Changkyun- _ah_ first.”

“I’ll be right back, okay?” Hyungwon commented, before hurrying out of the room.


	50. Showing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, y'all! I figured I'd drop a bit of a surprise for everyone, since I have some extra chapters written (and no one wants me to update my other story on Christmas...)

Changkyun slid his hand across his belly, turning sideways so that he could see the slight swell of his lower abdomen in the mirror.He knew that it was likely just bloating; it was still far too soon for an actual baby bump to be showing at just past the twelve week mark.But he couldn’t help feeling as if other people would be able to tell that he was pregnant if they saw him without a shirt on, even if it was only because he _wanted_ people to be able to tell.

“What are you looking at?”Changkyun looked up at the sound of Jooheon’s voice coming from the other entrance to their shared bathroom.“Is something wrong?”

“No, not at all,” Changkyun replied, shaking his head as he let his hand rest against his belly.“I’m pretty sure it’s just bloating, but it almost looks like I have a bump starting…”

Jooheon smiled, moving so that he could wrap his arms around Changkyun’s waist.“Bump or not, I’m glad to see you with some weight on you,” Jooheon replied.“You look better with squishy cheeks.You aren’t meant to be as skinny as you’ve been in the past.”The elder Omega pressed a kiss against each of his cheeks, almost as if he needed to emphasize what he was saying.“Kihyun- _hyung_ asked me to come up and let you know that it’s almost time to go for your doctor’s appointment.He wants to make sure that you’re there on time, since there are so many things going on at this appointment.”

Changkyun nodded, smoothing down his shirt slightly so that it hid his belly again.There were a _lot_ of things going on that day, and he knew that he needed to be on time for everything so that they would be able to accomplish all of the tests that were necessary.On top of his regular monthly appointment, there were specific blood tests that were being run to test for genetic issues, as well as another ultrasound that would be used in conjunction with all of his bloodwork to determine whether or not there was a need for more invasive testing for his pup.It was a little nerve-wracking, and Changkyun wasn’t sure that he actually _wanted_ to know in that moment.But at the same time, Changkyun knew that all of the tests were to make sure that _if_ something went wrong they would have as much advance notice as possible.

“You’ve eaten, right?” Jooheon asked, pulling Changkyun out of his thoughts.

“Kihyun- _hyung_ made sure I got breakfast earlier,” Changkyun replied.“You know that there’s no way he’s ever going to let me skip a meal… especially not right now.”

“True… Kihyun- _hyung_ is definitely not one to let things like that slide,” Jooheon commented.“Do you need anything else, before you leave?”

Changkyun shook his head.“I’m okay.I just need to stop freaking myself out,” Changkyun replied.“I can’t stop myself from worrying about how things are going to go today.I know that I’ve already made it further into this pregnancy than I did with the last one, but I keep thinking that something is going to be wrong with this pup, too…”

“Hey… there’s nothing wrong with being worried,” Jooheon replied, taking Changkyun’s hand.“But the tests they’re doing today, they’re going to help you because you’ll _know_ what you need to worry about.The whole point is to make sure that you aren’t stressing yourself out about something that isn’t likely to happen.

“I know…” Changkyun began, moving closer so that he could let his head rest against Jooheon’s shoulder as a silent request for the elder Omega to give him a hug.Jooheon was quick to oblige; Jooheon had always been good at picking up Changkyun’s unvoiced signals that he needed something, and the longer they knew each other the easier it got for Jooheon to respond before Changkyun had even really begun to voice his needs.

“Do you want me to go with you today?I know that Kihyun- _hyung_ is going to drive you…” Jooheon began.

“Minhyuk- _hyung_ is going to need your help with the pups,” Changkyun replied, not moving.“I’ll be okay.I just need to make myself go and do it.I know that I’ll feel better once it’s done and I’ve gotten back all of the test results.It’s just hard to not worry about everything that _could_ be wrong.”

“It’s going to be okay,” Jooheon commented, moving one of his hands to Changkyun’s lower abdomen.“I have a good feeling about this pregnancy, and I know that you do, too.This pup is going to be fine.”

Changkyun smiled, leaning in to give the elder Omega a quick hug.“Thank you, _hyung_.”

“Let’s go downstairs, before Kihyun- _hyung_ comes up here after us… he isn’t going to be happy if he has to chase us down for you to make your appointment on time,” Jooheon replied.

The elder Omega was quick to guide Changkyun down to the kitchen, where Kihyun was finishing up cleaning from the pack’s breakfast as he bounced one of the babies gently to soothe him.Most of the pack was gone already; Hyunwoo hadn’t been able to really take any time off of work after the pups were born, although he had given Hoseok and Kihyun time off to help with both Minhyuk’s pups and Changkyun’s needs during the early stages of his pregnancy.The only reason Hoseok hadn’t taken the day off on that particular day was because Jooheon had no classes until the evening and Hyungwon only had two that morning.Even if Kihyun and Changkyun were gone for an extended period of time, the eldest Omega wouldn’t be left alone with the triplets.

“Jooheon- _ah_ , take Subinnie, will you?He’s been fussy all morning, and Minhyuk- _ah_ needed a break.Minsu- _yah_ and Suyoung- _ah_ are still sleeping, but they’ll all be ready to eat in half an hour or so,” Kihyun commented.“I already made the bottles, you’ll just need to warm them up…”

“Don’t worry so much, _hyung_ ,” Jooheon replied, taking the baby from the elder man and starting to bounce slightly to keep Subin calm.“I’ve got this all handled - you know that I’m good with the pups when I have time to spend with them.We’ll be fine…”

Kihyun didn’t look completely convinced by Jooheon’s words, but the Beta just shook his head and turned towards Changkyun.“Do you have everything, Changkyun- _ah_?We need to leave now, so that we don’t miss your appointment,” Kihyun commented.

“I just need to get my shoes.I put my backpack in the foyer last night, so that I wouldn’t forget it.”Changkyun had taken to carrying food and a bottle of water with him whenever he left the apartment to help with the nausea caused by his morning sickness, and he’d added a book that Namjoon had recommended as well as some other things that he thought would be helpful for the trip to the doctor’s office.While he wasn’t expecting it to be a _long_ doctor’s visit, Changkyun knew that it was better to be prepared just in case something happened and they had to wait.

“I’ll grab you a bottle of water…” Kihyun began.

“I already got one last night, _hyung_ ,” Changkyun replied, smiling at the older man as Kihyun turned back towards him.“I’ve got this part covered, _hyung_.I know that you want to help, but I’m capable of handling a lot of this on my own.”

Kihyun smiled, moving closer and pressing a soft kiss against his cheek.“I know that you’re capable of doing a lot on your own.But you have to remember that you’re pack, even without the bite.And my number one priority is to make sure that my pack is taken care of,” Kihyun replied.“Let’s go, alright?We don’t want to be late.”


End file.
